6. Occupational health and safety management and certification
Briefly about the topic
The crown smiley shows that the company has an acknowledged health and safety certificate. This means that the company has made an extraordinary effort to ensure a high standard of health and safety. The health and safety certificate is issued by private certification companies. They charge money for issuing the certificate.
Before the certificate is issued, the certification company should, by law, ensure that the company to be certified meets a number of requirements for a good working environment.
For example, the company may have introduced strategies on the management level to improve the working environment.
Once a company has been awarded a certificate and thus a crown smiley, the company is only visited by the Danish Working Environment Authority in exceptional cases. Instead, the private certification company is responsible for monitoring the company's compliance with the requirements. If the requirements are not met, the company loses its health and safety certificate - and with it the crown smiley.
Why is this topic relevant to our industry?
The Danish Working Environment Authority’s (WEA) smiley scheme with green, yellow and red smilies on WEA’s website allows the public to keep track of how a company's working environment is doing. As it is possible with The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fishing’s smileys.
It thus gives visitors and future employees the opportunity to follow how a company's working environment is progressing.
As there is an increased focus on occupational health and safety, there is an expectation that more people will become familiar with this area for our industry as well.
What does it say about the topic in the legislation?
Der henvises til Bekendtgørelse nr. 1193 af 9. oktober 2013, hvoraf det blandt andet fremgår
Chapter 1 Recognised health and safety certificate etc.
§ 1. "Companies with employees covered by the Working Environment Act may have their working environment management system certified and be issued with an acknowledged working environment certificate relating either to the entire company (the legal entity with all its production units) or to one or more production units".
ISO 45001 can be applied to all types of organizations - large and small - in all sectors of the economy. It is based on OHSAS 18001 and other acknowledged occupational health and safety standards and conventions. It replaced OHSAS 18001 in 2018 as the main international standard.
Companies can obtain an occupational health and safety certificate. As well as having a particularly positive impact on the development of the working environment, the certificate also means that the Danish Working Environment Authority does not carry out inspections to the same extent. The company itself can be in charge of that.
Every day, people still die from work-related accidents or diseases. Moreover, the importance of addressing the psychosocial well-being of employees has increased during the pandemic. Ensuring the safety of employees and reducing risks in the workplace is increasingly central to ensuring a healthy business. Occupational health and safety certification become a positive management tool and not just "paperwork".
ISO 45001 from 2018: is an international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S), which sets out requirements for building a healthy management system. In combination with the ISO 45003 guideline on psychosocial health and safety, companies can reduce risks in the workplace and create safer and healthier working conditions, taking into account all aspects. In addition, ISO 45001 supports companies in ensuring compliance and meeting legal obligations.
It is a requirement that senior management demonstrates active leadership and commitment in relation to occupational health and safety. Top management must ensure that the ISO system is effectively implemented in such a way that strategies and expected results are clearly communicated to the rest of the organization. Furthermore, it is a requirement that the OSH organization is an active participant in the certification process.
Where can you find inspiration?
- Read more in the consigned book “Fakta om arbejdsmiljø 2022” pages 92-94 (certification).
- Read more in the consigned book “Fakta om arbejdsmiljø 2022” - pages 86-92 (knowledge sharing/competencies/HR).
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You need to immerse yourself in the topic by looking at links etc.
How to solve the assignment:You must via a written essay, a movie/audio file etc. convey the following:
- The task number/which topic you have chosen.
- To describe the information you have read up on and the reflections it's given you.
- Seeing as the Mandatory Occupational Health and Safety Organization course is about working together, you must discuss the topic/contents with a colleague or your work environment group.
The purpose is for you to grow more knowledgeable of how you can work together to prevent and control different challenges that may occur relating to the topic.
Think of at least 2 learning points - meaning:Your thoughts/opinion on the themes you have chosen in regards to the conditions at your workplace. It has to be something you/You have to be aware of - mention examples of this.
Criteria for the teacher's feedback:It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.
Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.
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You need to immerse yourself in the topic by looking at links etc.
Read the full assignment, which is under "Opgaver" in Teams, and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on. Talk about the topic with your colleagues or your work environment group based on the questions.Check which health and safety smiley you have in your company.
What is the significance of the health and safety smiley for your company?
Does the company have a "crown smiley " on the WEA’s website?
What are the benefits for a company of having a "crown smiley?
How to solve the assignment:
Read the whole assignment, which is located under "Opgaver" in Teams, and then relate it to the sub-task you have chosen to work on.
Talk about the issue with your colleagues or your work environment group and in writing, as a film, an audio file etc. convey the following:
Task number/which topic you have chosen.
State what information you have read up on and what reflections it has given you.
Answer the assignment questions and explain how you do things in your workplace.
Reflect on what you think you do well in your workplace in relation to the topic. Give examples of this and explain why it is good. How can you improve? Give examples and explain how you will develop this in your workplace
Criteria for the teacher's feedback:
It's important that you can tell from the assignment that they've spent time working with the contents of the theme and the evaluations it's brought with the research. Everyone gets constructive feedback on all of their assignments.
Remember to upload your assignment on Teams before the deadline.