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The report relates to an effort by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to understand how and why employers adopt voluntary consensus standards for occupational health and safety (OHS) management. This final report describes the processes governing the development of standards for occupational safety and health management systems. The study encompasses a number of research questions and this report addresses the question “Who develops Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) consensus standards, and what procedures guide their development?” The evidence-based research for this report included extensive review of relevant literature; in-depth interviews with organizations and individuals involved in standards development, both in the U.S. and internationally; and interviews with professional organizations, and organizations involved with auditing and certifying organizations who have implemented one or more OHSMS consensus standards.

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Research Questions

• Who develops OHSMS consensus standards, and what procedures guide their development?
• What kinds of organizations adopt OHSMS consensus standards, and what are their motivations for doing so?
• What are the perceived and actual benefits and costs of implementing OHSMS consensus standards?
• To what extent does certification to these standards ensure OHSMSs are effective at reducing workplace risk, hazards, injuries, illnesses, and fatalities?
• Are there additional, indirect economic effects associated with OHSMS adoption, such as enhanced productivity or quality, increased worker engagement, reduced turnover, or improved reputation?

Key Takeaways

• Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) standards share core concepts or common components, including: emphasis on management leadership, robust worker involvement and participation, risk assessment and identification, hazard and risk control, the need for competence at all levels of the organization, evaluation of the system to identify its achievements and deficiencies, and continual improvement. The standards across different systems are consistent in their overall purpose of improving organizations’ occupational health and safety performance. The standards differ significantly, however, in the level of detail in which these core concepts are implemented.
• OHSMS standards development represents a consensus process based on the experience, expertise, and perspective of a large group of well qualified professionals. The resulting standards are based on the collective experience and expertise of the members of the committee. While the standards are often informed by available evidence and scientific data the final decisions on the content are made during a negotiation among the committee members.
• The development process for OHSMS consensus standards is highly structured. Both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Standards Organization (ISO) have elaborate protocols and procedures that govern standards development and ensuring consensus. These procedures are designed to ensure that standards represent the consensus of parties, a balance of interests is maintained, and that no group dominates decision-making.
• Continual improvement in occupational health and safety is a fundamental value. The OHSMS standards are founded on the concept of continual improvement. Similarly, the standards development process is designed for continual improvement of the standards themselves. Over time, the standards are updated to reflect current evidence of their effectiveness and to integrate and recognize new concepts and techniques in occupational safety and health.

Citation

Eastern Research Group. (2023). Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems: Processes for Development of National and International Voluntary Consensus Standards. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.