Helping shape workplace health and safety standards
About 90,000 workplace accidents are recorded each year in Belgium. That figure has to come down! But how do you best tackle safety in the workplace? By using standards for a safe and healthy working environment, such as ISO 45001. Result: reduction in costs related to sick leave and increased productivity and employee satisfaction. In short: a win-win!
The Belgian standards committee NBN/I283 is therefore working hard to develop international occupational health and safety standards.
What is occupational health and safety?
Occupational health and safety (OHS) helps create a safe, healthy work environment.
OHS consists of 2 parts:
- Occupational health: this includes potential health problems and well-being, including psychosocial risks.
- Occupational safety: this includes the risk factor in your workplace and safety hazards that may cause injury.
Why is this important?
OHS imposes a duty of care on every employer to ensure that staff work in reasonable conditions. It also makes mental health a top priority. As an employee, you get a lot of benefits from this:
- Mental health and well-being
- Increased awareness and a safe work culture
- Increased productivity
- Correct training and correct use of tools
What are the health and safety standards committees working on?
Experts join forces in standards committees to develop standards related to:
- occupational health and safety management systems;
- psychological health in the workplace;
- psychosocial risks;
- performance evaluation;
- prevention and management of infectious diseases within organisations.
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Would you like to help develop standards yourself? But would you rather learn more about it first? Then follow the Webinar "Standardisation - The Basics". There we will give you more insight of what standards development is.
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What standards committees are there and when do they meet?
- The international standards committee ISO/TC283 develops and revises international standards for occupational health and safety, such as ISO 45001.
- ISO/TC283 meets once or twice a year. Next meeting: 16/04/2024.
- The Belgian standards committee NBN/I283 brings together all Belgian stakeholders with expertise in occupational health and safety. It closely follows and contributes to the ISO work. Anyone in Belgium can join.
- NBN/I283 meets twice a year. Next meetings: 31/01/2024 and 11/09/2024.
