OHSAS 18001 standard is finding wide application throughout the world. The Drafting Committee on OHSAS Project Group is represented by national certification bodies, regulatory bodies, occupational health and safety practitioners from around the world, including the USA, South America, Europe, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and China. The Drafting Committee together with many Industrial Trade Associations, including the Federation of Small Businesses adhered to Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety HSG65 and advanced the management approach to occupational health and safety
OHSAS 18001 approach, as well as ISO 14001 approach is based on the use of PDCA cycle – concept of continuous improvement.
OHSAS 18001 standard generalizes international experience in respect of occupational health and safety management. The standard focuses equally on occupational health as much as safety; it recognizes that increasingly, occupational ill-health is becoming an equally significant cause of human misery and cost to organizations, society and the economy of the country.
The standard recognizes that in each country there are statutory requirements in respect of occupational health and safety, which shall be taken into account in development of management system and which the requirements of the standard shall not contradict. The standard adopts the approach to risk management, which includes identification of harm that can occur, determination of likelihood of undesired events. The organization is required to take into account occupational health and safety risks in development, implementation and improvement of management system
OHSAS family of standards includes:

• OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements;


• OHSAS 18002:2008 Occupational health and safety management systems - Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001:2007;


• BS 18004:2008 Guide to achieving effective occupational health and safety performance;


• PAS1010: 2011 Guidance on the management of psychosocial risks in the workplace

OHSAS 18001 standard determines requirements for occupational health and safety management system, which shall be implemented. The clauses of this standard use the term “organization shall” whereas OHSAS18002 standard, which provides guidance on how OHSAS 18001 requirement might be met, uses the term “organization should”. OHSAS18001 standard is applicable for all organizations irrespective of their sector of activity.
In general, it is prohibited to limit the scope of application or to make exclusions from the scope of application of the standard. It is also unacceptable to exclude contractors and visitors. In addition, OHSAS 18001 is aligned to other management system standards such as environmental management system standard ISO 14001 and quality management system standard ISO 9001, following PDCA approach. Concept is very close to ISO 14001 standard, allowing integration or alignment of common parts. Russian Register offers integrated certification for compliance with two or more standards – it allows cutting Organization’s costs for certification.