Evaluating the Safety Management System’s Performance

Measuring How Well You Are Doing Under ISO 45001

ISO 45001 Requirement: ISO 45001 requires an accurate, repeatable and ever-improving process for measuring performance against your health and safety objectives.

The Key Requirements are outlined in this page.

Section 9 Performance Evaluation

Section 9.1: Monitoring, Measurement, Analysis and Evaluation

As noted elsewhere, the standard emphasizes both the Process approach and the need to utilize a review or checking phase from the P-D-C-A continual improvement cycle. The organization should use Key Performance Indicators to ensure that they are meeting the ISO 45001 standard requirements. 

The standard identifies what data needs to be collected, (see Required Documented Information table), how that data is collected and interpreted, and what results should be acted upon from a variety of inputs at various points in the OH&S management process. These results must in turn be verified through an internal audit, and they must be subject to the review by top management. This process also must itself be evaluated for effectiveness. It outlines a set of critical self-examinations.

Section 9.1.2 Evaluation of Compliance with legal requirements and other requirements

As specified earlier (in 6.1.3) the legal requirements and other requirements are required to be determined. Now (in 9.1.3) there is a need to plan, establish, implement and maintain a process for evaluating compliance with applicable legal requirements and other requirements.

This requires that you:

• Determine the frequency and method by which compliance will be evaluated
• Evaluate compliance
• Take action based on identified compliance gaps
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of its status of compliance obligations
• Retain documented information of the compliance evaluation results.

A register of legal obligations, (such as with the sample provided) can be very useful to keep the information current, reflect any changes, and to evaluate compliance of legal and other requirements

Section 9.2 Internal Audit

Section 9.2 requires that top management reviews the OH&S management system at planned intervals to make sure that it meets organizational goals and ISO 45001 requirements.

For more information, Read Performing an Internal Audit

The results of internal audits are then used to provide the confidence that the OH&S plans are being carried out as planned. Consider the internal audit as a value added activity where opportunities for effective operational corrections and improvements can be made.

For more information, read Tips for auditing 

In addition, ISO has published a standard ISO 19011 as a guidance document in auditing quality and environmental management systems. This standard can be referenced to assist your company in performing effective internal audit of the OH&S management system.

For more information, read What is ISO 19011?

9.3 Management Review

This section requires, that at planned intervals, the OH&S management system be reviewed by top management to make sure that it continues to be suitable, adequate and effective. Top management need to undertake a strategic and critical evaluation of the information generated by the OH&S. Inputs from results of internal audits, monitoring and measurement, key performance indicators and the determination of any directional / support changes / improvements that need to be made in the operation or in the governing OH&S system.

For more information, read Effective management review.

Please note that certain text from the ISO 45001 standard is only used for instructional purposes. Standard Stores recognizes and respects the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) copyright and intellectual property guidelines.