There is a lot of effort that goes into creating and implementing an OH&S management system that works for your organization. You can save time and energy by reading and applying the adviceset out in this seven-part mini-course BEFORE you begin. I have spent over 25 years developing plans, procedures andstrategies for effective OH&S management. In addition, I workedwith the OHSAS Working Group in writing the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard. Let me share what I've learned with you. This is the introduction to a series of e-mail installmentsthat will be sent to you over the next 2 weeks. Together, theymake up this mini-course - Seven Steps to Take BEFORE You Implement an Occupational Healthand Safety Management SystemEach installment of this course will suggest that you complete a specific task that will help move you forward. I hope you get a lot out of this course and, more importantly,avoid the common mistakes others have made in implementing OH&S management systems. Sincerely,Thea Dunmire P.S. Want to know more about OHSAS 18001:2007? Check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ ENLAR Compliance Services




This is the first installment of your mini-course - Seven Steps to Take BEFORE You Implement an Occupational Safety and Health Management System. Step #1 Decide On Your Goals Implementing an effective OH&S management system requires planning, organizing and taking action. You may already havemany of the pieces in place but are uncertain what steps youneed to take to pull them all together into a comprehensive management system.The first step is to decide where you want to end up - what you want to achieve.--------------------------------------------------------------- "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, said the Cat. I don't much care where, said Alice. Then it doesn't matter which way you go, said the Cat." From - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--------------------------------------------------------------- Identifying your goals is the first step in creating a successful OH&S management system. Your goals are likely to be unique to you and your organization.They depend on your industry, your business environment and your company culture. They also depend on the priorities andfocus of your top management. Which of the following does your organization have as a goal?* To minimize liability - to ensure compliance with legal requirements* To improve performance - to reduce injury and illness rates* To decrease costs - to reduce insurance costs (e.g. worker's compensation)* To improve efficiency - to minimize the resources needed to manage OH&S* To become certified - to hang an OHSAS 18001 certificate in the lobby* To gain recognition - to be recognized as a "world class" organizationOnce you have identified your goals, write them down.BE SPECIFIC. Then, see if your top management agrees. Coming next - Step # 2, Define Your ScopeTo learn more, check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ Sincerely,Thea Dunmire P.S. Need help? E-mail me at askThea@enlar.com . ENLAR Compliance Services 3665 E Bay Dr. #204CLargo, FL33771US



Step #2 Define Your Scope In Step #1, you decided what you want to accomplish - your goals(and you confirmed them with top management). Now you need to decide where, and to whom, your OH&S management system will apply. If you are planning on going for third-party certification toOHSAS 18001, one of the first questions your registrar willask is: "What is the intended scope of your OHSMS?" You will need to be prepared to provide an answer.For example:* Does your OH&S management system apply to one location - or 150?* Does it cover on-site activities, off-site activities (e.g. home offices, delivery drivers) - or both?* How do you deal with OH&S risks to the different types of individuals who may be impacted by your operations - employees, temporary workers, contractors, visitors, customers, neighbors, family members, trespassers?* Is product safety part of your OH&S management system or is it part of your quality management system - or both?* Are hazards to individuals outside of your property boundary covered in your health and safety management system or in your environmental management system - or both?If you do not have a clear idea of the scope of coverage of your OH&S management system, you run the risk of having either: - an incomplete management system where significant OH&S risks are not addressed, or- duplication of effort and internal conflicts as different management systems (environmental, quality and OH&S) attempt to manage the same issue from entirely different perspectives. Write out your "scope statement" now. BE SPECIFIC. Get the concurrence of the various stakeholders who are likely to beaffected.Coming next - Step # 3, Identifying Your Requirements To learn more, check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ Sincerely, Thea Dunmire P.S. Need help? E-mail me at askThea@enlar.com . ENLAR Compliance Services 3665 E Bay Dr. #204CLargo, FL33771US




Identify Your Requirements In step #1, you decided what you wanted to accomplish - your goals.In step #2, you defined the scope of your OH&S management system. Now, given the goals you have selected and the scope you havedefined, you need to identify the requirements your OH&S management system needs to meet. These requirements typically fall into three categories:* Those you MUST comply with - your legal requirements* Those related to organizational goals and objectives* Those driven by individual goals and objectivesAll organizations have a number of legal requirements (as setout in a variety of laws, regulations, agreements and contracts)that they MUST comply with. Failing to meet these requirements can result in significant financial penalties (e.g. fines, penalties, loss of business) or in egregious situations - individual criminal sanctions (e.g. jail time). Clearly, youneed to identify these requirements and determine how your management system will help you comply. Most organizations also have internal organizational requirements related to OH&S that go beyond legal compliance. For example, some organizations have an internal corporate requirement that all of their facilities be third-party certified to OHSAS 18001. Finally, since organizations are made up of people, there are often requirements that are driven by the personal goals andobjectives of individuals within the organization. For example,senior managers may expect activities to be performed in a certain way or mandate that particular paperwork be created fororganizational consistency. For OH&S professionals, it is also be worthwhile to consider your own personal "requirements" prior to implementing an OHSMS: * Do you want to stop "fighting fires"? * Do you want to ensure that OH&S responsibilities and accountabilities are distributed throughout the organization - rather than just on your shoulders?* Do you want to make sure you have the resources you need to prevent injury and ill health?Once again, its time to put pen to paper. Write down your requirements. BE SPECIFIC.Coming next - Step #4, Evaluating Your Resource Requirements To learn more, check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ Sincerely, Thea Dunmire P.S. Need help? E-mail me at askThea@enlar.com. ENLAR Compliance Services 3665 E Bay Dr. #204CLargo, FL33771US



Evaluate Your Resource Requirements In step #1, you decided what you wanted to accomplish - your goals.In step #2, you defined the scope of your OH&S management system.In step #3, you identified your requirements.Now, the $65,000 question, do you have sufficient resourcesfor success?--------------------------------------------------------------Sign in a local dinerYou can have your food fast and cheap.You can have your food good and fast.You can have your food cheap and good.You can NOT have your food fast, good and cheap.--------------------------------------------------------------It is very important to evaluate what resources are available to you BEFORE you begin implementing an OH&S. You will want to be sure you can accomplish the goals that have been established, for the scope of the management system you haveidentified, given the requirements you are obligated to meet.When you are identifying your resource needs, be sure to consider time, manpower and infrastructure needs as well. Although important, money is only one part of the resourcesequation.Keep in mind -* Making organizational changes takes time; no amount of money can shorten this time to zero.* You need people. Although consultants can help, there is work that must be done by individuals within the organ- ization.* Infrastructure will be needed - particularly related to establishing operational controls. This cannot be put in place overnight.Once again, it is time to put pen to paper. Write down your resource needs. Be realistic. BE SPECIFIC. Compare what you have to what you need. Now is the time to identify potential shortfalls.You don't have enough or the right resources? STOP NOW. Go back to step #1 and start over - reconsider your goals, adjust your scope, reevaluate your requirements. If you goforward without making changes, you may be doomed to failure.Coming next - Step #5 - Identify and Organize Your PaperworkTo learn more, check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ Sincerely,Thea DunmireP.S. Need help? E-mail me at askThea@enlar.com.ENLAR Compliance Services 3665 E Bay Dr. #204CLargo, FL33771US



Identify and Organize Your PaperworkIn step #1, you decided what you wanted to accomplish - your goals.In step #2, you defined the scope of your OH&S management system.In step #3, you identified your requirements.In step #4, you determined the resources needed, and available, for implementing your management system. Now, you need to start organizing. Where do you start? PAPERWORK You need to identify and locate all of the policies, procedures, forms, contracts, e-mails, electronic documents(e.g. Word documents, Excel spreadsheets), training films,training handouts, signs, labels, files, records, permits, equipment manuals, etc. that relate to either occupational safety and health or your organization's existing managementsystems. Then, once you have identified and located it all,you need to decide what to do with it.For each "piece of paper" (including each electronic document), you have three choices -Choice #1 - Get rid of it.Choice #2 - Ignore it. Choice #3 - Make it part of your OH&S Management System.Starting with choice #1 - An article in the October 22, 2007 issue of InformationWeek reported that an assessment of the computerized information of one Fortune 500 Company found that only about 10% of the information being stored had any real value. The sameis true of the files of many OH&S departments. Often, thereis some valuable information mixed in with a lot of irrelevant"junk." Put on your jeans, roll up your sleeves and eliminate thejunk NOW - don't make this baggage part of your OH&S Management System.An important WORD OF CAUTION - Consult your organization's record retention policies and identify applicable legal requirements prior to disposing of records, comply with any record destruction procedures that have been established and,as appropriate, consult with your attorney.Moving on to choice #2 -Once you have cleared out the junk, you need to decide what todo with the rest of the paperwork you identified. It can either "find a home" in your OHSMS or you can ignore it. Questions to ask when making this decision -* Does this document deal with OH&S issues that are within the scope of your OHSMS? * Does the document establish procedures for a process that should be addressed as an OH&S issue or would it be handled better as part of a different management system (e.g. quality or environmental)?* Can a procedure that is part of another management system (e.g. document control procedures) be utilized as part of your OHSMS to prevent duplication of effort or employee confusion?A second WORD OF CAUTION - Be very careful about choosing to ignore existing procedures and records. Only make this choice when you have sound reasons to do so - write these reasons down.Moving on to choice #3 -You have now identified the "base material" for implementingyour OH&S management system - it is all the "paperwork" you have left. Create a document inventory and keep it ready. I'll be backin touch in a couple of days.Coming next - Step #6, Perform a Gap AssessmentTo learn more, check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ Sincerely,Thea DunmireP.S. Need help? E-mail me at askThea@enlar.com. ENLAR Compliance Services 3665 E Bay Dr. #204CLargo, FL33771US



Perform a Gap Assessment In step #1, you decided what you wanted to accomplish - your goals. In step #2, you defined the scope of your OH&S management system. In step #3, you identified your requirements. In step #4, you identified and evaluated your resources. In step #5, you identified, organized and inventoried your existing paperwork. You are now ready to perform a gap assessment. What is a gap assessment? It is evaluation of the differences (i.e. the gap) between whatyou are currently doing and what is required, based on the requirements set forth in a particular standard. If your goal is third-party certification to OHSAS 18001, you will want to explicitly evaluate whether or not you have objective evidence that your current system conforms to each"shall" clause set out in the OHSAS 18001 standard. What is "objective evidence?" It is defined as evidence that is "unbiased, based on facts and not influenced by personal feelings." It is often also described as "verifiable" meaning that it is possible to confirm in some way that the evidence is correct or true. Realistically, this means evaluating whether the implementation of your processes and procedures results in a "paper trail" that can be audited. It is not required, but having the appropriate paperwork does make your life much easier than relying on establishing evidence of conformance via employee interviews and auditor observations. You can perform the gap assessment yourself; however, you may want to consider enlisting "outside talent" to help you. There are two reasons for this -1. It is very hard to evaluate yourself. When you are immersed in something on a day-to-day basis, it is difficult to be objective. 2. Evaluating management systems takes experience and expertise.Getting professional assistance up-front can save you time and effort in the long run.What a consultant probably can NOT provide is an in-depth knowledge and understanding of your organization. The best gap assessments are a collaborative effort using both outside expertise and inside organizational knowledge.Once you have completed your gap assessment, you are ready to move on to the final step. Coming next - Step 7, Developing an Implementation PlanTo learn more, check out my blog at http://www.ohsas18001expert.com/ Sincerely,Thea Dunmire P.S. Need help? E-mail me at askThea@enlar.com . ENLAR Compliance Services 3665 E Bay Dr. #204CLargo, FL33771US


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