Coronavirus & Certification

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, introduces new parameters both into our personal and social lives and into our professional activity.

Without a doubt, the consequences will be significant and largely unpredictable across all areas of our activities.

Let us leave the burden of medical treatment to the doctors, and the containment of the virus's spread to each one of us through the individual responsibility we must demonstrate, and let us focus on managing prevention in the workplace.

It is obvious that managing the issue of coronavirus prevention in the workplace is a matter of Emergency Situation response.

In particular, the Occupational Health & Safety management standards OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001have specific requirements for the identification of occupational hazards (ISO 45001 §6.1.2), staff information and vigilance (ISO 45001 §7.3 & 7.4) and the management of Emergency Situations (ISO 45001 §8.2).

Given that the risk posed by the spread of the coronavirus constitutes an Emergency Situation, companies that have installed and operate Occupational H&S Management Systems in accordance with OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001 must activate the mechanisms and apply the procedures provided for by their System, in order to manage the Emergency Situation and take the appropriate measures to address it.

Of course, the same applies to all companies and organizations, in the context of the legislative requirement to prepare a Written Occupational Risk Assessment, as provided for by Law 3850/2010 (Code of laws on occupational health and safety)

An ally in this effort is ELINYAE (the Hellenic Institute for Occupational Health and Safety), which recently published a comprehensive and apt guide with guidelines on prevention measures in the workplace.

Among other useful information, it includes instructions to employers (§2) provided for by the legislation on employees' H&S, as well as the basic obligations of employers to take measures aimed at limiting the transmission of the coronavirus.

Particular emphasis is placed on the need to update the Written Occupational Risk Assessment with regard to the hazards and prevention measures related to COVID-19.

Addressing specifically the companies that implement and hold certified Occupational H&S Management Systems in accordance with OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001, we point out that the way the emergency related to COVID-19 is handled will be a key control point in the management of the Emergency Situation during the system audit to be carried out by the Certification Body.

Therefore, beyond the measures that must be taken to prevent transmission and halt the spread of the coronavirus, the corresponding systemic and managerial actions must also be carried out, demonstrating that the Management System is operating, is being applied effectively and is producing results.

Management Standards are useful to businesses because, apart from the certificates, they provide guidelines that are useful for organizing an organization's business operations and for measuring the results of their implementation, so as to achieve improvement and compliance with requirements, including legislative ones.

The NOVITAS is at your disposal to provide support in the development, operation and certification of Management Systems.

See here the ELINYAE Guidelines.