LEADING UK forestry, timber harvesting and landscaping company, Tilhill, has announced its successful transition from BS OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001. 

ISO 45001 is a milestone as the world’s first International Standard dealing with health and safety at work. It offers a clear framework in line with other Standards for Quality and Environmental management.

While ISO 45001 was developed drawing on OHSAS 18001 it is very much a new and distinct standard representing a significant shift in the way health and safety management is perceived. 

ISO 45001 certification was developed to mitigate any factors that can cause employees and businesses irreparable harm.

Tilhill’s head of safety and assurance, Chris Pike, said: “Achieving certification to ISO 45001 is a significant step in our drive to further improve occupational safety and health management in Tilhill. The additional emphasis in senior management commitment in the new standard sits well with the fundamentals of our health and safety culture.

“Our goal is for all persons working on or visiting our sites to be safe and free from harm to their health. This result is a marker of our progress to achieving this, but we continue to strive for safer and healthier working practices and to ‘insist on safety’ at all times."

Especially geared toward leadership of senior management, ISO 45001 has the ultimate goal of helping businesses provide a healthy and safe working environment for their employees and everyone else who visits the workplace.

This goal can be achieved by controlling factors that could potentially lead to injury, illness and – in extreme situations – even death. As a result, ISO 45001 is concerned with mitigating any factors that are harmful or that pose a danger to workers’ physical and/or mental well-being.

Tilhill’s quality and environment manager, Nicola Abbatt, who manages certifications to the ISO Standards for Tilhill, said: “We are pleased to have successfully transitioned to ISO 45001. Health and safety management for us is a fundamental part of running a sound business.

“We have strong leadership commitment to this at board and senior management level; this helped ensure our smooth transition from OHSAS 18001 to the new International Standard which also focuses on integration and ensuring health and safety management is integral to running a sound and sustainable business.”

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