OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA: COMPARISON BETWEEN OHSAS 18001:2007 AND MS 1722:2011

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: OSHMS is a set of interrelated or interacting elements to establish and implement OSH policy and objectives, and to achieve those objectives in order to manage risks. In Malaysia, OSHMS requirements introduced are the Malaysian Standard (MS) 1722:2011 and Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001:2007. There have been no previous papers which have described the differences between both standards. The aim of this paper is to compare the OHSAS with MS requirements standards.

Materials and Methods: This is an archival documentary research which compares the OHSAS requirements and the existing MS requirements standards. The main elements of both standards which are identified as similar were cross-referenced. The main differences for terms and definitions and documentation required were also scrutinised.  

Result: For OHSAS, the scope of hazard is restricted to source, situation or act with a potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill-health, or a combination of these. Unlike the MS, the scope of hazard includes “damage to property”. The absence of the scope “damage to property” differentiate other important definitions such as incident, near miss and risk between the standards. The standards are made up by five interrelating main elements and works on the principle of continual improvement that is represented by a cyclical stream.

Conclusion: Generally, both standards have similar corresponding sub-elements and can be cross-referenced.  The main difference between the requirements are the scope of hazard, incident, near miss and risk definition, where in OHSAS aspects of “damage to property” is excluded.

Keywords: Occupational Health and Safety, continual improvement, British Standard, OSHMS, Standards Department Malaysia, management system