Roles & Responsibilities of the ISO 45001 lead auditor

ISO 45001 is an international standard for occupational health and safety, for protecting employees, workers, and visitors from work-related hazards and sicknesses. The ISO 45001 standard was issued in March 2018 by the International Organization for Standardization and ISO 45001 standard replaces the OHSAS 18001 standard. The ISO 45001 standard is the first standard to offer a complete OH&S management systems framework. The standard describes requirements for an OH&S system and contains an application guide. Also, it allows organizations to take charge of OH&S-related risks and opportunities, thereby improving the safety of employees.

The ISO 45001:2018 certification was developed to moderate any factors that can cause employees and businesses lasting damage. The ISO 45001 standard is a result of a great effort by a committee of health and safety management professionals who looked closely at some other approaches to system management, which include ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. It increases organizational flexibility through positive risk prevention, modernization, and continual development as well as the establishment of legal and regulatory compliance while reducing business losses. It validates organization responsibility by promising a safe, healthy, and sustainable workplace. ISO 45001 standard is for all types of businesses, and all sizes.

Workplace health and safety measures are very important for any organization. Any form of inattentiveness, abandonment, and unawareness can lead to thoughtful occupational accidents, provisional or permanent injury to assets, and/or loss of life. So, ISO 45001 audit take a very important part here. The ISO 45001 lead auditor makes sure that every aspect of health and safety will take care of within the organization by doing an audit. So, certified ISO 45001 lead auditor training will help to understand the audit process, requirements, documentation procedures, etc. An audit is a systematic, independent, and documented procedure to check accurately if the wanted objectives have been met and to regulate whether the audit standards are fulfilled or not. The desired aims can be met with the audit process for a definite timeline, and it is directed to obtain a specific purpose. For any organization, there are external and internal issues that affect the implementation of active safety management. Such matters are also a worry to the workforce, organization prospect, and fulfillment of the appropriate applicable legal requirement. Audits are conducted to create responsibilities, authorities, and answerabilities for particular roles to continue safety standards. The audit confirms statements at all stages within the organization to sustain safety and to be documented for the record. It creates whether the Safety Management System is in place and follows the requirements of ISO 45001.

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of the ISO 45001 lead auditor?

• It helps to reduce an organization’s risks while enhancing its performance, integrity, profile.
• Lead auditor design and accomplish audits in compliance with the rules for auditing management systems against ISO 45001, by ISO 19011, and ISO/IEC 17021.
• Lead auditor develops an informed and broad imaginative attitude towards predicting and preventing future accidents through risk assessment, risk management, hazard analysis, and control to create a safe and healthy work environment.
• Develop the skills required to effectively lead an audit team in reviewing ISO 45001 management systems within an organization.
• It helps to develop a culture of enhancement for the organization by improving OH&S performance and in turn, saving money, time, reducing damage to properties, and saving lives.
• It also manages a team of internal quality auditors.
• Evaluate production processes for compliance with quality requirements
• Identify procedures, situations, etc., where the organization is meeting requirements, as well as identify opportunities for enhancement.
• Prepare audit reports; present audit reports to top management, as needed, and ask for changes according to the reports.
• Assist with follow-up audits, as required

Ian Colin has published many articles regarding ISO Certification. Ian has rich experience as a online publisher and prepared various Certification documents as per ISO guideline since large amount of years in his professional career.