Are you currently looking forward to implementing ISO 45001? If yes, you must know that before conducting the process implementation, you must perform the gap analysis. The process is the preliminary step for initiating an effective implementation or modification of the existing system. Essentially, gap detection is done to determine what should be rectified to meet the objectives. It shows the difference existing between the present performance of the system and the ideal state.
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management. It sets out the criteria for establishing a safe and secure workplace. To get the certification, the rudimentary clauses ask you to set policies, build a leadership team, and acquire resources based on the gap identified in the present OHSAS system. Every company has a distinct work system and enforces security measures accordingly. ISO 45001 is an excellent tool for evaluating the effectiveness of the existing security system too. Gap analysis is the most important step that produces concrete proof.
The process is not easy to be conducted without prior experience, market knowledge, and relevant expertise. The following post has discussed the necessary steps required for performing a flawless gap analysis.
The Step-by-step process for a Hassle-Free Gap Analysis
Step 1 – Defining the focus area
In the first step, you must identify your focus area. Your priority should be set clearly. Your focus areas are your weaknesses that can potentially attract threats. You and your stakeholders must have a clear understanding of what must be improved for increasing safety measures in the workplace. Your focus areas for workplace health and safety may include the following –
Employee morale
Employee requirements for medical compensation
Community Impact
Risk factors, which are recurrent
Management training
Employee awareness program
Based on the focus area, your current system’s productive efforts and outcomes must be evaluated and compared. If you are not sure about your priority list, you can conduct a SWAT analysis with the help of any consulting professional. The SWAT analysis is an excellent tool that helps the management to find the gaps by highlighting the weak factors.
Step 2 – Determining objectives
The next step is determining the objectives. The priority list made at the first stage will be the concrete pillar based on which your desired future state should be defined. The fundamental purpose of gap analysis is to detect the flaws in the present system that differentiates its position from the ideal state. To determine what will be the ideal outcome, a company must form objectives. For workplace safety objectives, you can focus on the following –
High productivity
Low/zero number of accidents and injury
Enhanced proactiveness
Reduced absenteeism and employee burn-outs
ISO 45001 aims to improve the OHSAS performance of a company. Therefore the objectives should be set accordingly.
Step 3 – Evaluating the current state
The third step is evaluating your current workplace safety measures. You can again conduct a SWOT analysis here to determine the positive impacts of the existing measures and what are their downfalls. The SWOT analysis will provide you with fast and realistic results. The fact-based analysis will not only correctly evaluate the present state and its effectiveness but also allow your management to find relevant strategies to mitigate issues. The ultimate motive of a gap analysis is to find gaps and fill them as soon as possible. Therefore, this is a crucial step, which must be done carefully and without any biases.
Step 4 – Choosing Proper KPIs
To fill the detected gaps, you need to apply metrics to form the right KPIs. You can choose the SMART (Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Your KPIs should be inclusive of both the leading and logging aspects from each of your focus areas.
Step 5 – Creating and enforcing an action plan
The final part of the analysis is creating an action plan and enforcing it quickly. To improve your workplace safety culture, your action plan must be divided into two parts – project one and project two. For the first part, you must employ direct measures to rectify the situation. In the second part, your action should be focused on monitoring, inspecting, and evaluating the progress.
For a flawless gap analysis, you can think about hiring professional consultants from ComplianecHelp Consulting LLC .
