ISO 45001 is an international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. It provides a framework that organizations can follow to establish, implement, maintain, and improve their occupational health and safety performance. The standard focuses on identifying and mitigating hazards, reducing risks, and ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for all employees.
The importance of ISO 45001 is evident across all sectors in the GCC region. Various statistics emphasize the need for robust occupational health and safety measures:
1. Accidents and injuries: A study in the region’s leading seaport found a significant number of accidents, including those without injuries, first-aid accidents, and work injuries leading to absence from work. These statistics highlight the necessity of implementing effective occupational health and safety measures to prevent accidents and injuries in workplaces.
2. Fatality rates: A comparative analysis of fatal crashes between different regions revealed high fatality rates in the GCC region, emphasizing the urgency to enhance road safety measures. This data underscores the importance of ISO 45001 in promoting safe transportation practices and reducing fatalities caused by road accidents.
3. Construction industry: Falling from heights and struck/collision incidents were identified as common causes of injuries in the GCC construction sector. ISO 45001 can play a vital role in mitigating these risks by ensuring proper safety protocols, training programs, and risk assessments are in place.
4. Reporting mechanisms: A significant percentage of workers in the region lacked a means to report accidents. ISO 45001 addresses this issue by emphasizing the establishment of effective reporting mechanisms, ensuring that workers can report accidents, near-misses, and hazards promptly. This allows for timely investigations and implementation of corrective actions.
5. Economic impact: Road accidents continue to have a substantial economic toll in the GCC region. ISO 45001’s focus on improving road safety measures and raising awareness can contribute to reducing the economic impact of accidents and enhancing the overall productivity and well-being of the workforce.
Even though big changes implemented recent years on the occupational Health & Safety implementation in countries like Saudi Arabia , we still see more stress on the follow up on this issue, we still see need for change in Culture of companies in region, this to be implemented along with stronger enforcement by Governments in GCC to implement it. Figures still show area of improvement.
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