OHSAS 18001 Becoming More Popular As Businesses Look To Get Ahead

Online, March 5, 2012 (Newswire.com) - In the UK, over the last few years we have seen a sharp increase of businesses investing in quality and environmental certifications, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

However, the biggest spike in sales for the main ISO firms has been the OHSAS 18001 certification. OHSAS 18001 is the British standard for occupational health and safety management system. While it began in the UK, it is a globally recognised standard.

By becoming independently assessed and certified in having effective health and safety measures in place, as a business, you can stand out from your competitors when bidding for work.

While many people might assume health and safety management systems are popular among the secondary sector, more and more companies in the service sector are investing in health and safety.

Rebecca Lewis Smith, Managing Director of Fountain Partnership Ltd, a digital marketing agency, is considering going for OHSAS 18001. She says, "last year we become ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. In addition to reducing our environmental impact and streamlining our processes, we have gained significant returns on our investment through new clients won. In the coming year we want to look at improving our Health and Safety Management Systems - this will not only keep our staff safe, but also reflect our values as a company".

In addition to getting ahead of keeping competition and protecting employees. OHSAS 18001 can protect the business as a whole against unexpected costs that arise from accidents happening in the workplace. From this view point the investment in OHSAS 18001 is not just about getting ahead about competition, it's about insuring against unforeseen costs in the future.

As the economic recovery is slow and firms need to become better internally, standards like the OHSAS 18001 will continue to be popular. By raising the bar in this way, everyone will benefit - and businesses will become safer, as well as competitive. It is little wonder, then, that we have seen an increase in firms getting the OHSAS 18001 certification.