FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1996-09-16

International workshop cool to idea of OHS standards

Most participants in an international workshop on occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) have concluded that there is no need for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to develop standards for such systems.

The workshop, which took place in Geneva, September 5 and 6, considered a proposal for ISO to develop international standards in this area. More than 400 people from around the world took part in the discussions, including a 12-member Canadian delegation.

In a verbal summary of the workshop's discussions, ISO Technical Management Board (TMB) chairman John Kean noted that participants felt the need to gain further experience with the ISO 9000 quality management systems standards and the ISO 14000 environmental management systems standards before developing additional documents in what is still a relatively new area for ISO. He also noted that no business case had been put forward to justify the development of an OHSMS standard. Many delegates felt that if OHSMS guidelines are required, they should be produced by the International Labour Organization (ILO) rather than ISO.

The workshop's conclusions mirrored the position of the Canadian delegation, which consisted of business, labour and government representatives. Based on discussions at a Canadian forum which took place in May, the delegation noted that while international work on occupational health and safety might be appropriate, an international standard probably was not. A discussion paper prepared for the Canadian forum was used by several other countries in their own deliberations.

ISO's TMB will consider the results of the workshop at its meeting in January and decide whether to take further action.

Canada's participation in the workshop was coordinated by the Standards Council of Canada, a federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to foster and promote voluntary standardization. The Council provided the neutral ground for the development of a national response to the ISO proposal, but did not itself take a stand on the question.
 

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