In this article, we're going to explore ISO 45001 Clause 7.3, which deals with Awareness. I'll explain this clause in simple terms so that you can understand it easily. This will help you see how to apply the clause's requirements in your own organization's system, making sure you know what is expected for awareness regarding occupational health and safety.
Ok, let’s get started! Let’s take a look at what Clause 7.3 wants us to do. First off, the clause states that
Workers shall be made aware of:
a) the OH&S policy and OH&S objectives;
b) their contribution to the effectiveness of the OH&S management system, including the benefits of improved OH&S performance;
c) the implications and potential consequences of not conforming to the OH&S management system requirements;
I will stop there and explain what these first three mean. But maybe we should remind ourselves who the Workers are in this context first.
ISO 45001 states that a Worker is a person performing work or work-related activities that are under the control of the organization. These workers can be paid or unpaid, regular or temporary, intermittent or seasonal, casual or part-time. They can also be external providers, contractors, agency workers, or individuals.
Now that we have refreshed ourselves on what a worker is, we need to ensure that they are made aware of the OH&S policy and the OH&S objectives.
Normally with new workers the policy and objectives would be shared during the induction process or induction training. This captures new workers only of course, so when there are changes to the policy and objectives there should be a process in place to continue to share any updates with all workers. There might be a regular team meeting, toolbox talk, stand-up, or whatever is appropriate and relevant in your industry and business.
These options then of course support the implementation of points b) and c) where the workers must be aware of what their role is in contributing to the OH&S management system and what would likely happen if they did not follow this. Again this is great information to share at induction and ongoing team meetings.
I recently conducted a certification audit for a mining resource business who are certified to ISO 45001. It is a small business of seven (7) employees, and since I had been there last time, there had been a new employee. I love it when there’s a new person because then I can review their onboarding and induction processes.
This business has an extensive OH&S induction checklist which the Managing Director himself goes through with the new employee. This is supported by the Employee OH&S handbook. The checklist is marked off as each section is completed and signed by the employee and the Managing Director.
There is also a sign-off sheet at the back of the Handbook which is signed and acknowledged by the employee and kept on file. By the end of this process, all new employees are aware of the OH&S management system (which includes the policy and objectives) as well as what their part is in the system.
The business has weekly team meetings with OH&S as an agenda item. This is where any changes to the policy and objectives (and of course anything to do with the system) are raised, discussed, and minuted.
Something to remember with this clause is that nowhere does it state that documented information is required to be maintained or retained. So we don’t need to document a procedure on how we are going to keep our workers aware of these requirements and there is no requirement to retain evidence that we have.
However, if you are considering the risk of not retaining any evidence of these communications it is worthwhile keeping records of what has been communicated, to whom, when, and how. By doing this you are ensuring that you are protecting your workers and your business.
Then this clause goes on to state …
d)incidents and the outcomes of investigations that are relevant to them;
e)hazards, OH&S risks, and actions determined that are relevant to them;
f)the ability to remove themselves from work situations that they consider present an imminent and serious danger to their life or health, as well as the arrangements for protecting them from undue consequences for doing so.
These three (3) requirements are a great addition to awareness of the OH&S management system. For the OH&S management system to be effective and improve workers must be aware of any relevant incidents and outcomes that impact the activities that they conduct as well as the hazards and OH&S risks that are relevant to the work they conduct. In fact, it is a requirement of clause 5.4 Consultation and Participation that non-managerial workers participate in the investigation of incidents determining corrective action as well as identifying hazards so this backs up this clause requirement perfectly.
And finally, as part of this awareness, it is essential to establish a system that empowers employees to remove themselves from any work circumstances they perceive as an immediate and serious threat to their well-being or safety. For instance, if a worker notices a damaged electrical cord that poses a high risk of electrocution, they should have the ability to halt work and report the hazard without fear of retaliation or adverse consequences.
The organization should establish protocols to ensure the employee's protection from any negative outcomes arising from their responsible action and workers need to be made aware that this is within their power.
Now that you have a better understanding of these requirements, it's time to take action and implement them in your own organization and ISO 45001 OH&S management systems.
If you'd like to learn more about ISO 45001, why not take a look at our other articles on the topic, starting with What is ISO 45001 and OHS Management Systems?
If you prefer watching over reading, head to our ATOLTV ISO 45001 playlist on YouTube, either way, be sure to check out our range of ISO 45001 OH&S management systems courses and qualifications today.