What is an OHSAS 18001 Gap Analysis?
One of the first steps in your Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) implementation project is to compare your current system to the requirements of the OHSAS 18001 standard. This is most commonly called a Gap Analysis. It is important to understand what the Gap Analysis involves, and what information it will provide.
The most important tool for the Gap Analysis is the Gap Analysis Checklist. This is a list of the requirements in the standard, written in question format. The Implementation Team will use this list to compare the system that is in place with the standard requirements. The checklist provides the team with recommendations of what documents to look for, examples of what will meet the requirements and other guidance on creating an OHSMS that meets the standard. It becomes the roadmap of your project - telling you what areas of your existing system need revision. The implementation team now knows where to focus their efforts.