Posted By Jay Joshi There has been a development that UKAS has been permitted to accredit Certification Bodies for OHSAS 18001 following additions to its MoU with DTI. The details are in the latest UKAS update--link below, but I have copied the relevant extract. http://www.ukas.com/Libr...e/Update/Update%2040.pdf Changes to the DTI–UKAS MoU Two new areas of accreditation have recently been added to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Trade & Industry—the document that lays down what accreditation UKAS can provide—and two further revisions have also been made. The first change will enable the accreditation of certification bodies providing certification of occupational health and safety management systems to OHSAS 18001. The accreditation standard used will, in common with other management system certification, be EN 45012. Further details of UKAS’ pilot development for this accreditation can be obtained by contacting Phil Shaw, Development Manager (phil.shaw@ukas.com). My personal view is that it is only a matter of time that contituent members of ISO will have to contructively resolve this anomoly after 2 unsuccessful proposals by BSI to ISO to commence work on an ISO Standard (certificated one !) for OHSMS

Posted By Derek Holt Interesting development. Z10 like OHSAS 18001 is a voluntary standard. Unlike OHSAS 18001 it has been developed just for use within the US and as the ASSE indicate, 'it is not intended to become an International standard'. Even within the US it is recognised that OHSAS 18001 has had the biggest uptake on a World stage. Although it is suggested by members of the Z10 committee that the Z10 standard could perhaps be the forerunner for an international implementation guideline covering all OHS standards as a framework. Personally I think this would be futile and that the time is coming for one Internatioanl OHS standard to be worked upon. All told Z10, ILO OSH 2000, OHSAS 18001 cover the same basic structure although the former two are PDCA cycle based and the latter is more processed based like other ISO standards (14001, 9001). It is argued that OHSAS 18001 is more compatable with other ISO standards for this reason. This argument is valid but what is actually required is an OHS standard based upon a true systems based approach. Such could then be readily integrated with other business systems and not just aligned with other 'certified' standards.