We are thrilled to announce we have successfully achieved ISO 45001 - The International Standard for Occupational Health & Safety Management.

Implementing ISO 45001 Over 6 Months

The implementation and certification of our ISO 45001 Safety Management System took around 6 months to complete. Initially, our external health and safety advisor carried out a gap analysis of our existing safety management processes compared to the requirements of the ISO 45001 standard. This identified where we needed to implement new procedures or processes. Our health and safety advisor then prepared an integrated management system that encompassed our existing ISO 9001 quality process and procedures.

Our approach to the Safety Management System was risk based and the senior management team worked with our safety advisor to better understand our organisation, context and the internal and external issues that could influence our Safety Management System. From this we identified any interested parties and considered their needs and expectations and deciding upon the scope of the Safety Management System.

Our senior management team were committed to the process and worked with our safety advisor to develop the health and safety policy and objectives ensuring they were aligned to the strategic direction of ASL. As part of the process, we fully engaged our workforce with ISO 45001 awareness training and ensured they are part of the Safety Leadership Team and represented at our health and safety committee meetings.

After full implementation of the ISO 45001 Safety Management System, we carried out our internal audits and a management review meeting ready for our certification audit. Our certification audit went well and we successfully passed the audit without any non-conformances being raised. 

Commitment to a safe working environment

Health and Safety continues to be a priority within our business and we are committed to maintaining a safe working environment and continual improvement.

Our ISO 45001 Safety Management System will help with building trust and brand integrity by providing an assurance that ASL’s management system meets the requirements of the international standard and will improve our operational performance.

Over the last 12 months we have rapidly grown and recruited an extra 20 staff. This incredible growth led us to look at how we can ensure that as growth continues, our accidents don't and our safety culture continually improves. Having ISO 45001 standards in place ensures all employees feel they are working in a safe environment.

As a manufacturer of Cable Assemblies, Wiring Looms and Control Panels, there are many processes involved in making the products which employees need to feel safe. All processes carried out on the factory floor have undergone safety risk assessments to ensure accidents are kept to an absolute minimum. These processes include; Hot Works and manual handling, inclusive of moving heavy cable drums and control boxes.

The implementation of ISO 45001 has cost the company £10,000. It is a significant investment but is essential as we strive forward in maintaining our position as the industry leader for quality cable assembly services and wiring harness manufacture services.

Continuous Improvement for Workforce and Customers

Achieving this accreditation is only the beginning of how we prioritise the safety and wellbeing for our workforce and customers. We look forward to the maintaining and continual improvement these new standards and exploring even more ways to become better in these crucial areas.

A special shout out and thanks to our Health & Safety Advisor Tony Lundy from TL Safety, who has done an exceptional job implementing the new IMS and helping ASL obtain ISO 45001.