Working in the steel market is becoming safer

The steel industry has taken significant steps in the recent decades, when it comes to safety at the workplace. Where years ago no one seemed to care, companies now consciously pay attention to work safety in the workplace. "The awareness of employers and employees has grown. In the past, a number of fatal accidents happened in the industry that could have been prevented. This led to the current regulations. Companies, and also Dutch legislation, nowadays set stricter rules for a safe working environment. ISO 45001 is a good example of this. This assessment guideline is often seen as a checklist, but it is a comprehensive program that helps companies to prevent falls. "Said Chris Fehres, Kiwa auditor.

Most steel companies realize that working safely with an ISO 45001 certificate is a must in the year 2019. There is a shortage of good staff, so there must be taken care of the workers that are employed. In some cases, because the pressure is extremely high at construction sites, this can be very difficult. Because of this, executors often feel compelled to take the safety of employees to a lesser degree. This increases the chances of accidents, and that must be prevented. Kiwa auditors not only assess companies on the so-called checklist points, but also hold a mirror up to companies. "By asking the right questions, clients start thinking about their own process and actions. They often come up with ideas to reduce the risks, so that everyone can work in a safe working environment. "

As a Kiwa auditor, Chris Fehres increasingly notes that companies are reluctant to have multiple certificates. "An audit simply takes time. Companies with multiple certificates must open their company to an auditor a number of times a year in order to conduct the audits. It is now the case that each certificate is audited separately. An audit for ISO 9001, an audit for ISO 45001 and a separate audit for ISO 3848. This results in unnecessary loss of time, because certain assessment guidelines overlap with each other and can therefore be audited together."

Kiwa therefore offers integrated audits within the steel market. Companies certified on ISO 9001, ISO 45001, EN ISO 3834 and EN 1090-1 are eligible for integrated audits. Companies are assigned one Kiwa auditor who knows the organization through and through. The advantage of this is that companies only have to tell their story once and that they can always go to the assigned Kiwa auditor. This principle saves time and costs. Time that can be spent on the employee safety.