Better manage health risks

Many organisations have already introduced ISO 45001 because the topic is so important for employees and employers alike. The current "Job Stress Index" of Health Promotion Switzerland from October 2018 underlines this with impressive results:
- – Stress: Around one in four (27.1 %) employed people experience stress, i.e. more strain than resources at work (2016: 25.4 %, 2015: 22.5 %).
- – Exhaustion: The proportion of emotionally exhausted people tends towards 30 %.
- – Productivity lossesStress costs employers around CHF 6.5 billion per year.
- – AgeYounger workers are more likely to have an imbalance between stresses and resources.
- – GenderThe differences between women and men are marginal.
- – EducationHigher education tends to be associated with less stress and more resources.

Corporate practice takes these figures seriously and acts. In addition to dialogue-oriented instruments, the focus is on comprehensive initiatives. Ideally, such activities are not designed as isolated individual measures in the area of health promotion, but as an integral part of the overarching management system.

The ISO 45001:2018 standard systematizes
The standard organizes the philosophy of professional occupational safety and health management in a systemic and results-oriented manner. This includes the available resources in the concept. This provides security and trust on all sides.

ISO 45001 helps to improve the safety culture and reduce employee stress by providing a framework for improving occupational safety, reducing workplace risks and creating healthy and safe working conditions. This increases productivity (fewer days lost, less presenteeism) and enhances the attractiveness of the employer.

With the new basic structure for management systems, ISO has also succeeded in setting a milestone in terms of system synergies, enabling highly efficient integration into existing ISO 9001 quality management systems or ISO 14001 environmental management systems.

Numerous companies already certified
The conversion of the systems is in progress at the SQS-certified customers. Particular attention is being paid to the aspect of health promotion. We have many years of experience and cross-industry expertise in this field. The high reputation and international acceptance of SQS certificates are proof of this.

Voices from the field
- Massimo Wild, entrepreneur and CEO of Wild Armaturen AG, Rapperswil: "Healthy employees at safe workplaces - that is of central importance in our SME with around 40 employees. With the certification according to ISO 45001 we emphasize

"Healthy employees in safe workplaces is centrally important"

this guiding principle with emphasis. We invest in health and safety at work not only for ethical reasons, but also for business reasons. On the one hand, absences due to accidents and illness cost money, and they also cause additional internal work in the processes, because other employees have to stand in for those who are absent. On the other hand, it is clear that healthy and fit employees feel good and perform better. We have striven for and achieved certification on our own initiative. It forces us to continually question things. Because we do this, the certificate raises awareness among all employees. In this way, they assume more personal responsibility in these matters, think for themselves, observe and report misconduct to each other. This mindfulness in the company is particularly beneficial because in today's living and working conditions, not only the stress but also the risk of distraction (mobility, multitasking, smart technology, etc.) has increased significantly."
- – Ruedi Keiser, Head of Quality, Environment and Safety, Belfor (Suisse), Gisikon: "In August 2018, we implemented the transformation from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 with SQS. In terms of standards, we benefited from our experience with the other ISO standards (quality and environment). Occupational health and safety as well as health management are of great importance for our construction-related SME with around 270 employees. We are therefore in the process of launching a programme to raise awareness of these issues. This is supported by the fact that the philosophy of ISO 45001 is aptly reflected in our corporate values."
- – Daniel Zehnder, Head of Management Systems, Schulthess Maschinen AG, Wolfhausen: "We achieved ISO 45001 certification in mid-2018. From our perspective, occupational health and safety management is a natural part of Schulthess. The certification process has already triggered a number of things for all of us. The highlight: the accident figures at the Wolfhausen site reached a record low at the end of 2018. Last year, the lost-time costs still added up to over CHF 1 million. The management recognised in good time that we needed a system to reduce absences due to illness. Corresponding campaigns are communicated on the intranet. And monitoring is a constant topic at the management meetings."
- – Roy Siegenthaler, COO, Comlab, IttigenOur digital radio system solutions based on high-frequency technology are mostly used in railway environments. The assembly takes place mainly in Zü-

"All avoidable disruption must be kept to a minimum".

depots or tunnels. 140 employees are exposed to constantly changing work situations that have to be mastered safely. The SQS certification to ISO 45001 obtained in August 2018 makes it possible to systematically manage the associated risks. The standard also provides scope for institutionalised monitoring of ASG metrics by senior management and in management review. »
- – Remo Oppliger, CEO of UT99 AG, AndelfingenAs an SME with an export share of over 95 %, we are dependent on lean, efficient processes. As we are almost exclusively staffed by specialists, breakdowns lead relatively quickly to more difficult processes, which have a detrimental effect on our quality and delivery performance. In order to be able to serve the global market with pinpoint accuracy, all avoidable disruptions must therefore be reduced to a minimum. This requires healthy employees in safe workplaces. Both are central building blocks for us on our way into the future. The implemented ISO 45001 standard supports us in our efforts to assume responsibility for the safety and health of employees at work in a process-oriented manner."