The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is a fundamental part of maintaining the effectiveness of an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system under ISO 45001:2018
ISO 45001:2018 – Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use is an international standard developed to help organizations of any size create, implement, maintain, and improve an OH&S management system. Its purpose is to support organizations in meeting their responsibility to protect workers’ health, safety, and overall well-being.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 2.78 million workers lose their lives every year due to work-related accidents or diseases. This highlights the importance of having an effective OH&S management system in place. By following the guidance of ISO 45001:2018, organizations can work toward building safer and healthier workplaces.
ISO 45001:2018 helps organizations identify and control risks related to occupational health and safety, with the goal of preventing injury and ill health. The effectiveness of an OH&S management system depends on a number of important factors, including the commitment of top management and strong communication across every level of the organization.
In addition, an OH&S management system depends heavily on the processes it uses. Organizations need to establish practical and achievable OH&S processes that support their health and safety objectives. Once these processes are implemented, they must also be reviewed and improved on an ongoing basis. For this reason, ISO 45001:2018 is built around the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model.
What Is the PDCA Cycle?
The PDCA cycle is a well-known method used by organizations to support continual improvement. Because of its effectiveness, it has become a central part of many ISO management system standards. In ISO 45001:2018, the PDCA cycle includes the following stages:
- Plan: Identify and assess OH&S risks and opportunities, and establish the objectives and processes needed based on the organization’s context.
- Do: Implement the processes as planned.
- Check: Monitor and measure activities and processes against OH&S objectives, and report the results.
- Act: Take action to continually improve the performance of the OH&S management system.
Although this approach is specifically adapted for occupational health and safety, it is similar to how the Plan-Do-Check-Act model is used in other ISO management system standards. However, ISO 45001:2018 integrates the PDCA cycle more deeply into its structure.
As shown in the standard, most of its clauses align directly with one stage of the PDCA cycle. At the center of the framework is Clause 5: Leadership and worker participation, while the other sections are organized as follows:
- Plan: Planning (Clause 6)
- Do: Support (Clause 7) and Operation (Clause 8)
- Check: Performance Evaluation (Clause 9)
- Act: Improvement (Clause 10)
By using the PDCA cycle as a foundation, ISO 45001:2018 provides a strong framework for improving workplace health and safety and ensuring the continued effectiveness of the OH&S management system.
