EEF Launches Approved Course For Auditing New Health & Safety Standard

ISO 45001 becomes first globally recognised standard

From 12 March UK manufacturers have the opportunity to become certified to the world’s first globally recognised health & safety standard with the opportunity to train their internal auditors via a new course being launched by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation.

The new standard will bring a number of new concepts such as leadership, continuous improvement and stakeholder management and for health & safety it presents an opportunity for businesses to be more strategic, including the requirement to look at the wider health and safety implications of the supply chain, i.e. procurement, outsourcing as well as contractors.

For global businesses it provides a framework to manage health & safety consistently across international borders and ensure that it is managed and measured consistently. For small and medium-size businesses it will also bring them in to line with international approaches to risk management and will give them an edge when competing for global contracts.

In response EEF is launching its first IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors) approved course in partnership with QMS Skills Ltd to help companies gain the auditing skills needed to help facilitate the transition to ISO 45001 certification. It starts with a two day auditor transition course on 17 April and will be followed by further courses, including a five day lead auditor course later in the year.

By completing the course attendees will gain IRCA certification which is recognised internationally with many organisations using it as a benchmark requirement for auditors. It will also give attendees a wider insight into the Annex SL Higher Level Structure and from this the opportunities that come from integrating management systems for issues such as quality and environment.

Commenting, Mike Denison, EEF Health & Safety Consultant, said:

EEF and QMS are working closely to provide a full suite of IRCA approved auditor courses to assist organisations to understand better what is expected of an audit and the auditor. IRCA approval is widely recognised as a high standard of auditor training.

Details of course:

Transition training courses provide the knowledge of the changes to a revised ISO standard and the skills to audit against the revised standard. It is recommended for professionals working in organisations certified to an ISO standard that has been revised or those looking to work with a newly revised standard.

On successfully completing these modules delegates will:

– Know and understand Annex SL as a framework for ISO management systems

– Know and understand the requirements of ISO 45001:2018

– Be able to audit ISO 45001:2018 based OHSMS requirements effectively.