On March 12, 2018, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems, which officially replaced OSHAS 18001:2007 and became a globally consistent standard. In 2008, Taiwan independently established and promoted the "Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems" (TOSHMS) standard. In 2011, referring to the TOSHMS verification specifications, two national standard proposals were developed: "Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems - Requirements" and "Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems - Guidelines." These were announced as national standards by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on November 29, 2011 (CNS15506 and CNS15507 respectively), with CNS 15506 being designated as the standard for TOSHMS verification. Driven by both passive implementation of supporting requirements and proactive efforts by enterprises, 11 years have passed since then, and approximately 954 companies have passed third-party verification (see the figure below). To align with international trends in occupational safety and health management system standards and to meet the verification needs of domestic manufacturers, the Ministry of Labor compared the "TOSHMS" verification standard with the "ISO 45001" international standard. Finding that the substantive requirements were largely similar, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Ministry of Labor requested the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) to consider internalizing ISO 45001 as Taiwan's national standard for occupational safety and health management systems (CNS). Without altering the technical content, the BSMI published CNS 45001 on December 14, 2018, which will subsequently replace CNS 15506 as the standard for TOSHMS verification. (Currently, CNS 15506 and CNS 45001 coexist as TOSHMS verification standards, but they cease to be applicable from April 1, 2021). Cumulative statistics of the number of businesses that have passed TOSHMS verification (updated to 108.11.08) Source: TOSHMS Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management System Information Network, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This time, ISO 45001/CNS 45001 has added some requirements to the occupational safety and health management system, such as determining internal and external issues and the needs and expectations of stakeholders, assessing the risks and opportunities of the occupational safety and health management system and its operations, strengthening change management and control over procurement, outsourcing, and contractors, etc. It has also adjusted or added detailed requirements to existing requirements, such as expanding the scope of occupational safety and health hazard identification, clarifying worker consultation and participation, and stakeholder communication, aiming to enable enterprises to achieve more comprehensive and thorough occupational safety and health management, effectively protecting the workplace safety of workers and improving the performance of enterprise occupational safety and health management. The Ministry of Labor revised relevant regulations on February 19, 2016, and implemented them on January 1, 2017. These regulations require high-risk or large-scale businesses, such as: 1. Category I businesses with 200 or more employees; 2. Category II businesses with 500 or more employees; 3. Petrochemical industrial workplaces involving petroleum cracking; 4. Workplaces involving the manufacture, handling, or use of hazardous chemicals in quantities exceeding those stipulated by the central competent authority. All of these businesses must establish an occupational safety and health management system tailored to their specific needs, in accordance with National Standard CNS 45001. Furthermore, future occupational safety and health awards, such as the National Occupational Safety and Health Award, the Five-Star Excellent Unit Award, and the Golden Safety Award for Public Works, will also include CNS as a qualification requirement. In summary, TOSHMS has listed CNS 45001 as a verification standard, which is derived from ISO 45001. Considering the revisions to regulations regarding the scale of businesses required to establish occupational safety and health management systems, and the eligibility requirements for national occupational safety and health awards, it is imperative for all types of enterprises to establish their own occupational safety and health management systems in accordance with ISO/CNS 45001 standards as soon as possible. The Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, in order to enhance the green competitiveness of enterprises, has commissioned the Quality, Environmental and Safety Department of the Plastics Processing Technology Center to implement the "Small and Medium Enterprise Green Giant Guidance Program," dedicated to assisting manufacturers in meeting international environmental protection requirements and promoting green product design and marketing. If enterprises are further interested in green-related issues, they can visit the Small and Medium Enterprise Green Environmental Protection Information Network at http://green.pidc.org.tw/index.php, or contact 04-2359-5900 ext. 301; E-mail: janet@pidc.org.tw, Ms. Hsieh Ming-kuei, for service details.
