According to ISO 45001:2018, organisations should coordinate their procurement processes to identify hazards and assess and control operational health and safety risks. Organisations should implement and maintain procedures to regulate the procurement of products and services to achieve the intended outcomes of OH&S.
Whether you’re dealing with legitimate or substandard contractors and supplies, the last thing you want is to buy defective products that can expose your organisation to health and safety risks.
Contractors
Organisations should coordinate processes with contractors to identify and control risks arising from the contractors’ activities that affect the organisation, the organisation’s operations that affect the contractor, and the contractor’s operations that affect interested parties.
Ensuring you and the contractor meet OH&S management system requirements is crucial. The organisation’s procurement processes should also define OH&S criteria for selecting contractors.
Outsourcing
ISO 45001 requires organisations to ensure that outsourced processes and functions are controlled. The outsourcing arrangements should meet legal and other requirements to achieve the intended outcomes of the occupational health and safety management systems. The OH&S management system should clearly define the degree and the type of control of these processes should be clearly defined in the OH&S management system.
It is essential to note that coordination with suppliers can assist in addressing the impacts outsourcing has on an organisation’s OH&S performance. You need to ensure that the OH&S performance requirements are clearly communicated to the suppliers to ensure you receive the right products or services.
You should pick a “scope” under which outsourced products and services are controlled within the OH&S management system. For example, you can develop a list of approved services and materials and define the process of approving them. Generally, it would be best to establish whether a particular supplier’s performance could affect your ability to meet the OH&S requirements.
Hazard Identification
Regardless of the expenditure, it is essential to ensure that the procurement process includes a risk assessment analysis. Any purchase made exposes your organisation to various hazards and risks, and it should be your responsibility to identify and create ways to mitigate these risks.
Adjustability and Accountability
The law and ISO procedures require organisations to maintain records of every purchase made. Record keeping involves maintaining an original copy of invoices, electronically or manually.
Continuous Improvement
Organisations must seek relevant training for sustainable and ethical procurement. Your organisation should improve procurement processes and systems to meet OH&S requirements. Setting performance targets to meet ISO requirements can be an excellent way to achieve the intended outcomes of the OH&S.
How Best Practice Can Help
Do you want to meet the ISO 45001 procurement procedure requirements? Best Practice Biz offers a wide range of services to help you achieve and comply with the ISO 45001 standard. Get in touch with us today to discover more about how your organisation can benefit from our ISO certification services.
