The primary goal of an ISO 45001 or an occupational safety and health program is to ensure and foster a safe and healthy environment at the workplace. The standard protects employers, co-workers, customers and all other individuals who can be affected by an unhealthy workplace environment.

To ensure workplace safety, the top management, as well as workers, are necessitated to show involvement in the input in addition to the operation of the health and safety management system.

They must ensure that all the requirements are fully integrated into the OHSMS processes of the organization and that the objectives and policy are compatible with the organization’s strategic direction.

In other words, the top management is fully responsible and accountable for the prevention of workplace injury, ill-health as well as for providing safe and healthy workplaces.

What is critical to the successful implementation of the health and safety management system is the commitment and leadership from ‘Top Management’. This sets out a complete list of things that the top management is responsible to perform in order to demonstrate the leadership and commitment concerning health and safety management system. For instance:

• To facilitate establishing and the current operation of major health and safety committees. The clause particularly refers to the prerequisite to emphasize on the non-management workers’ participation in setting up such committees.
• To ensure implementation of clause 5.4
• To ensure the safety and protection of workers from all reprisals when risks and hazards are reported by them.
To give you the idea, the following are some examples of how top leadership can demonstrate its role within the organizational health and safety management system.
• Take complete responsibility as well as accountability for preventing the ill health/work-related injury, as well as the establishment of a safe and healthy work environment.
• Ensure a positive culture as well as continual improvement.
• Make sure that the OH&S system is fully integrated within all the business processes.
• Promote both internal and external communication and at all levels.
• Protect workers from possible reprisal while reporting incidents, risk, hazards and opportunities.
• Support and provision for safety committees.

Hence, the great advantage of implementing ISO 45001 in Lihyan can only be achieved by enterprises which establish the standard to exercise it effectively than just getting certified. After all, the implementation of ISO 45001 is a huge achievement for any company or its employees and in the right direction.