Abstract
Sets out requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. The requirements may be used for auditing and certification purposes. The requirements follow the guidelines set out in AS/NZS 4804:2001. In this joint revision the terms ‘hazard/risk assessment’ and ‘control of hazards/risks’ are used to accommodate the different terminology used in each country to describe similar elements of the systematic management of occupational health and safety.
Scope
This Standard specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS), to enable an organization to formulate a policy and objectives taking into account legislative requirements and information about hazards or risks. It applies to those hazards or risks over which the organization may exert control and over which it can be expected to have an influence. It does not state specific OHS performance outcomes.
This Standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to—
(a) implement, maintain and improve an OHSMS;
(b) assure itself of its conformance with its stated OHS policy;
(c) demonstrate such conformance to others;
(d) seek certification/registration of its OHSMS by an external organization; or
(e) make a self-determination and declaration of conformance with the Standard.
All the requirements in the Standard are intended to be incorporated into any OHSMS. The extent of the application will depend on such factors as the OHS policy of the organization, the nature of its activities and the conditions in which it operates.
Effective implementation of an OHS management system should seek to ensure the organization complies with relevant OHS legislation, standards and codes of practice. However, the implementation of any of the requirements of this Standard, whether or not the organization has gained certification from a third-party certification body or is otherwise recognized, does not in any way assure compliance with legal requirements, or other obligations placed upon the organization by a statutory body. Hence, the implementation, either actual or intended, of this Standard, or parts thereof, would not preclude any action by a statutory body.
NOTES
1) The Standard also provides informative guidance on the use of the specification in Appendix A, a bibliography for further reading in Appendix B, and a correspondence of the requirements of this Standard with AS/NZS ISO 14001 and AS/NZS ISO 9001 in Appendix C.
2) For ease of use, the clauses of the specification and Appendix A have related numbers.
History
First published in Australia as AS 4801-2000.
First published in New Zealand as NZS 4801(Int):1999.
AS 4801-2000 and NZS 4801(Int):1999 jointly revised and designated as AS/NZS 4801:2001.