Posted By Karel Simpson I would also like a link to this information if anybody has one. regards karel

Posted By martin_r http://www.bsi-uk.com/OHS/Webinar/index.xalter

Posted By Jay Joshi There does not appear to be any detailed information on the BSI (or the UKAS website) However, this was inevitable---just indicates the opposing needs of the Technical Committee Members. The background is that the Technical Committee for BS 8800, HS/001 for both the first and the revised editions( in 1996 and 2004) did not make a provision for it to be "certificated" The role of HS/001 is at:- http://ecommittees.bsi-g...er?livelinkDataID=956128 Obviously, the certification bodies were not happy with this and went ahead in late 90's to publish OHSAS 18001 and OHSAS 18002. For all intents and purposes, OHSAS 18001, referred to as a "specification" became the de-facto OHSMS "standard". However, it was not accredited by any Accreditation Body. In 2005, RvA, the Dutch Accreditation Body began accepting applications from Certification bodies for certification OHSAS 18001. UKAS on the other hand could not accredit Certificating bodies as it's MoU with DTI did not include OHSAS 18001. I understand that one of UKAS's requirements was that certificating boidies demonstrate that there was a clear customer demand ! UK based Certificating bodies had no choice but to use RvA as the accreditation body, something that does not bode positively for UKAS. BSI aquired RvA accreditation for OHASA 18001 in March 2006! refer to:- http://www.bsi-global.co...ch/n4424291a128d7.xalter Therefore UKAS requested DTI to include OHSAS 18001 certification in the 2006 revision of its MoU with DTI. you can check it at (page 7 of 7):- http://www.ukas.com/Libr...loads/About_UKAS/MOU.pdf I can only presume that these developments must have had an effect on the Technical Committee HS/001 to call for the HS/001/0/02 Panel to develop OHS certifiable British Standard! refer to:- http://ecommittees.bsi-global.com/hs*

Posted By Tabs Good news. Shame it was such quiet news though ... I thought it would have been shouted from the rafters. We have been waiting for it to be added to the MoU for a long time.

Posted By Robert Tailby How does all of the above relate to conversion/adoption or whatever of 18001 as an ISO standard as per 9001 and 14001? Are ISO ever likley to ratify 18001 in the same way? I understand that they originally rejected it on what I was widely told were political grounds.

Posted By Robert K Lewis Unless BS have taken on the comments following the last discussions I think ISO may be very reluctant to move on this unless the ILO document is somehow incorporated.. It is a shame that the text seems to be unviewable. Bob

Posted By Jay Joshi My understanding of the reason why it has not become an ISO standard is because:- More than a particular majority is required ( I am not sure of the number) so that a technical committee can be established in the first instance even to consider the standard, let alone compile/draft/publish it. If this majority is not there, the "work" cannot even commence. There has been an informal understanding that it will only be Safework/ILO that will take the lead in this, therefore making it almost impossible to get the majority unless Safework/ILO take the initiative. There is a lot of "politcs" involved in standards development, more so at international level! Unless you have a significant majority onside, it is almost impossible. Therefore the two attempts by BSI for proposing at ISO level did not materialse as the required majority was not obtained and this was done without the "blessing" of Safework/ILO. It was only after the second attempt by BSI at ISO level that did not materialse did shake Safework/ILO into eventually publishing its own "guidelines"!! Influential countries such as USA were not keen previuosly when BSI had proposed. The scenario is very different now. There is "more" globalisation, many influential countries such as USA have published their own national standard even if not "certifiable" The publication of OHSAS 18001, its subsequent demand and later accreditation by RvA and recently BSI meant that for all practical purposes, it has become a de-facto international standard. Let us watch the developments! It is unfortunate that depite taxpayers money being used to fund BSI Standards Development, very little is made public of the technical commitee outcomes/decisions. I can understand the need to keep the proceeding confidential, but not the outcomes/decisions and general information.