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Evidence for the effectiveness of occupational health and safety management systems: what do we really know?

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Date

This event starts on

Time

This event lasts from 13:00 - 14:30 (Europe/London)

Location and Format

Virtual

Event type

Webinar

This webinar brings together leading international researchers and practitioners to examine the latest evidence on the effectiveness of occupational health and safety (OHS) management systems, with a particular focus on ISO 45001.

Overview

Hosted jointly by International Standards Organisation (ISO) Technical Committee 283 and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Global Safety Evidence Centre, the event will present findings from major studies undertaken by Harvard University, Italy’s Istituto nazionale per l'assicurazione contro gli infortuni sul lavoro (INAIL) and Accredia, and complementary European research.

Building on existing work from the Global Safety Evidence Centre on the effectiveness of OHS interventions and leading indicators, the discussion will explore whether implementation of an OHS management system based on a recognised standard leads to measurable improvements in workplace safety and health. We will also look at the factors that support effective implementation and consider how research evidence can inform the ongoing development of the ISO 45000 series.

By the end of the webinar, participants will:

  • Understand the latest evidence on the effectiveness of OHS management systems, particularly ISO 45001.
  • Gain insight into key mechanisms and organisational factors that influence outcomes.
  • Consider how evidence can be integrated into standards development.
  • Reflect on implications for future revisions within the ISO 45000 series.

This event will be of interest to anyone involved in improving OHS, including practitioners, ISO committee members, auditors and certification professionals, organisational management and leadership, compliance and risk teams, researchers, educators and training providers.

Speakers

  • Leanie Du Toit, Chair, ISO/TC 283 on Occupational Health and Safety Management
  • Nancy Hey, Director of Evidence and Insight, Lloyd’s Register Foundation
  • Michael Toffel, Professor of Environmental Management, Harvard Business School (USA)
  • Johnny Dyreborg, Senior Researcher, National Research Centre for the Working Environment (Denmark)
  • Antonio Terracina, Istituto nazionale per l'assicurazione contro gli infortuni sul lavoro (INAIL) (Italy)

Agenda

13:00

Welcome and introductions

13:05

Setting the scene: the evidence base for OHS management system effectiveness

13:10

Research presentations:

  • Do safety management system standards indicate safer operations? Evidence from the OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety standard (Harvard University and Duke University, USA)
  • Differences in occupational health and safety efforts between adopters and non-adopters of certified occupational health and safety management systems (funded by the Danish Work Environment Research Fund, Denmark)
  • The effectiveness of accredited certifications for occupational health and safety management systems (Accredia and INAIL, Italy)

13:30

Panel discussion

14:00

Audience Q&A

14:30

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