The Best in the Automotive Industry Are Getting Certified to ISO 45001

While the ISO 45001 certification in occupational health and safety may not be the most sought after in the automotive world, that should not stop your organization from looking at the many benefits this certification can bring to both the present and the future of your workplace.

When most people think of occupational health and safety, OSHA comes to mind, so they turn to the legal requirement to receive a certification from the U.S. government. Getting certified to ISO 45001, however, raises the bar and holds your company to an even higher standard than that set by OSHA. Why go for only the minimum when you can learn to implement the very best practices?

This certification has gone from being recommended to being a requirement to be a Tier 1 automotive vendor, so you can be sure the big players will be seeking it. Indeed, there are many advantages to having your business certified to ISO 45001, including:

You want to ensure that you are on the short list when major automotive manufacturers search for a new vendor for their product lines. The first two criteria they look for among vendors are that 1) the vendor is certified and 2) the certification comes from an accredited certification body.

Even more important than being competitive is having your employees work safely and be free from accidents that can be debilitating or even life-threatening. In the four-year period from 2017 to 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 2,091 work-related deaths for which the employer received a citation.

Human life is irreplaceable, and your organization will show its commitment to employee safety with a certification by NSF to the ISO 45001 standard.

If your organization already has an ISO 9001 quality system, you have your baseline, and ISO 45001 will be easier to understand; it was written in a similar way and has similar requirements. A certification to ISO 45001 puts a focus on health and safety in the workplace.

One of the requirements for getting certified to this standard is possessing an emergency response plan that is updated with COVID-19 protocols. It may be in your best interest to have a third party look over the procedures in your response plan.

It’s also important to remember that having a risk analysis performed will be a catalyst for the discovery of other areas of improvement, including those hazards that can not only injure but take the life of an individual — worker or otherwise.

A railroad is a great example. An audit to check the electrical system along a railway may reveal that one of the warning lights that flash when an optical sensor picks up human movement near the tracks is not working. This flashing light, when operational, might save a life.

Receiving this certification will have a huge impact on your organization. There are now three highly recommended certifications (ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001) if you want to be competitive as an automotive supplier. The best time to seek them is today.