1. Key changes from OHSAS 18001:1999

2. Overview Published July 2007.
OHSAS 18001:2007 refers to itself as a standard and not a specification, or document, as in the earlier edition.
Reflects the increasing adoption of OHSAS as the basis for national standards on occupational health and safety management systems.

3. Some highlighted changes
Major alignment with ISO 14001
Health is more clearly addressed and emphasized, as this was more diminished in the ’99-edition. Clearer focus on health is mainly substantiated by:
the new definition of “Ill health” and revised definitions for “incident” and “risk”
new clause b) in ch. 4.2 OH&S policy
new clause c) in ch Performance measurement and monitoring
Management of Change clearly addressed as part of and 4.4.6

4. Key Changes: Scope and Definitions
Property damage and damage to the workplace environment are no longer part of the scope for OHSAS (also reflected in revised definition of “Hazard”).
Definitions (3)
Related to OH&S these changes in Definitions are considered most substantial :
New definitions for “Ill health” and “workplace”.
Revised definitions for “hazard”, “incident” and “risk”
6 new terms are defined in OHSAS:2007 to harmonize with common terminology in ISO and ISO 9001: Document, procedure, record, corrective action, preventive action and OH&S policy.
“Tolerable risk” replaced by “acceptable risk”

5. Key Changes: General Requirements and Policy
OHSAS:2007 more explicit on:
Continual improvement of the OHSMS.
Need for the organization to define and document the scope for the OHSMS.
OH&S Policy (4.2):
OH&S Policy (4.2) more explicit to require communication of policy to “all persons working under the control of the organization” and not only to “employees” as in previous edition.
New clause b) to include a “commitment to prevention of injury and ill health and …”.

6. Key Changes: Planning
Hazard identification, risk assessment and determining controls (4.3.1)
OHSAS:2007 improved to clarify the process steps: Hazard Identification → Risk assessment → Determination of controls
OHSAS:2007 more explicitly addresses Management of change
Introduced new paragraph considering the hierarchy of controls as part of OH&S planning
Legal and other requirements (4.3.2)
OHSAS:2007 explicit to require that applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes are taken into account in establishing, implementing and maintaining its OH&S management system
Objectives and program (s) (4.3.3)
Former merged into this clause

7. Key Changes: Implementation and operation
Resources, roles, responsibility, accountability and authority (4.4.1)
OHSAS:2007 more explicit to require:
Insurance by the organisation that persons in the workplace in general take responsibility for aspects of OH&S over which they have control and adheres to applicable OH&S requirements.
Commitment from top management on OH&S management.
Competence, training and awareness (4.4.2)
OHSAS:2007 more explicit on:
Addressing awareness training for “persons working under its control” and not limited to employees as in previous edition.
Retaining records of relevant training, education and experience

8. Key Changes: Implementation & operation, cont’d….
Communication, participation and consultation (4.4.3)
OHSAS:2007 more explicit on addressing communication to contractors and other visitors to the workplace with regard to the OH&S hazards and consultation with contractors when there are changes affecting their OH&S
New ch requires appropriate involvement from workers in hazard identification, risk assessment and determination of controls and within incident investigation and development of OH&S policies and objectives.
Control of documents (4.4.5)
OHSAS:2007 explicitly requires control of documents of external origin.
Operational control (4.4.6)
OHSAS:2007 explicitly refers that operations and activities related to management of change shall be considered for needed operational controls.

9. Key Changes: Checking Performance measurement and monitoring (4.5.1)
OHSAS:2007 includes new clause c) for monitoring the effectiveness of controls and stating explicitly that this shall be done for health as well as for safety.
Evaluation of compliance (4.5.2)
New clause in OHSAS:2007, requirements fully aligned to ISO 14001
Incident investigation, nonconformity, corrective action and preventive action (4.5.3)
OHSAS:2007 includes new ch on Incident investigation. Although partly covered in previous edition more emphasis have been put on this issue.

10. Key Changes: Management review
OHSAS 18001:2007 largely aligned with ISO and lists the following required input to Management review:
results of internal audits and evaluations of compliance with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
the results of participation and consultation (see 4.4.3)
relevant communication(s) from external interested parties, including complaints,
the OH&S performance of the organization,
the extent to which objectives have been met,
status of incident investigations, corrective actions and preventive actions,
follow-up actions from previous management reviews,
changing circumstances, including developments in legal and other requirements related to OH&S, and
recommendations for improvement.