On 28^th of April, we celebrate World Day for Safety and Health at work. Work-related diseases and injuries were responsible for the deaths of 1.9 million people in 2016, according to the joint estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO). (Source: https://www.who.int/news/item/16-09-2021-who-ilo-almost-2-million-people-die-from-work-related-causes-each-year)

Some of these deaths could and should have been prevented, and must be in the future, and one of the means is EN ISO 45001 and accreditation.

EN ISO 45001 – Occupational Health And Safety was approved in 2018 and focuses on improving employee safety, reducing workplace risks and creating better, and safer working conditions.

Some of the benefits of ISO 45001:

• Prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and death.
• Motivate and engage staff to promote health, safety and competency across organisations.
• Provide safe and healthy workplaces.
• Improve occupational health and safety performances and effectiveness.
• Demonstrate corporate responsibility, including compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

In 2020 was issued ISO/PAS 45005:2020 “Occupational health and safety management — General guidelines for safe” working during the COVID-19 pandemic, which gives guidelines for organizations on how to manage the risks arising from COVID-19 to protect work-related health, safety and well-being.

Furthermore, Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment (PPE) is dedicated to specific products that the user can wear or hold in order to be protected against risks either at home or whilst engaging in leisure activities, and also at work.

Products covered by this Regulation shall meet the defined requirements, before they can be placed on the EU market.

Accreditation provides an attestation that conformity assessment bodies – accredited by their National Accreditation Body offering for instance certification and testing – have the technical competence and impartiality to check the conformity of products and services with the relevant standards and regulations.

For example for a construction worker, his/her equipment has been tested to protect his/her hearing, or his/her feet. It guarantees also that the material used shall be adapted to the worker.

Therefore, workers can have confidence in products and services that were tested and certified, and have the guarantee that their equipment, work condition, work location, and every aspect work related have been validated by a conformity assessment body, that was assessed by an independent National Accreditation Body.