Occupational health & safety
The accreditations issued in the field of occupational health and safety relate exclusively to policies for preventing accidents at work or work-related illnesses.
They concern the inspections conducted within companies, or the necessary prerequisites for service providers to provide training, or operate in work environments with risks for the health or safety of the workers.
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Certification of management systems
NF EN ISO/IEC 17021-1
Certification of management systems by a third party is a means of getting their conformity with international norms and standards recognised, and in this way certifying that the organisation in place meets precise requirements.
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Use of an accredited conformity assessment body guarantees the latter's competence and impartiality. It is a token of confidence in the quality of the service delivered.
Certain accredited certifications contribute in this way to preventing workplace risks. They are part of the system in place for protecting the health and safety of workers. -
Certification of persons
NF EN ISO/IEC 17024
Due to the environment in which they are carried out, certain tasks present risks for the health of workers. To prevent the onset of work-related illnesses, it is sensible to call upon workers who are specially trained in executing these tasks.
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To ensure that these workers have been correctly trained, the public authorities require them to have accredited certification. By requiring more than simply formal qualifications, this gives the customer the assurance that the competence of these persons is monitored and periodically reassessed by bodies whose competence and impartiality are recognised by way of their accreditation. -
Certification of products and services
NF EN ISO/IEC 17065
To comply with policies for the prevention of accidents at work and work-related illnesses, standards have been developed to certify bodies that propose work or training in at-risk work environments.
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By making accreditation mandatory for certification according to these standards, the public authorities reinforce the robustness of the mechanisms that they put in place, since the impartiality and competence of the accredited bodies are demonstrated.
This measure establishes confidence in the services supplied by certified bodies and ensures that the services are implemented in accordance with the standards concerning worker protection. -
Tests
NF EN ISO/IEC 17025
Asbestos, chemical agents, noise, vibrations, electromagnetic or ionising radiation: many workers are exposed to these daily. In certain cases, prolonged exposure can lead to the development of work-related illnesses.
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An assessment should therefore be made of the risks in order to keep these to a minimum, and ensure that workers have access to personal protective equipment whenever necessary. This risk assessment is very often based on accredited analyses, whereby accreditation guarantees their reliability.
Accredited tests also provide assurance that the personal protective equipment used by workers complies with requirements and that the workers are therefore effectively protected.
Accredited tests of this nature therefore help prevent work-related illnesses and accidents at work. -
Medical examinations
NF EN ISO 15189
Due to the nature of their activity and the risks of developing work-related illnesses, certain categories of workers are more closely monitored by the occupational healthcare services.
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Given the environments to which these workers are exposed, the public authorities ensure they receive regular medical examinations.
Accreditation guarantees the reliability of the analyses carried out and therefore provides assurance that the appropriate measures will be taken to preserve the health of these workers on the basis of the results obtained.
Accreditation contributes in this way to the prevention of work-related illnesses. -
Inspection
NF EN ISO/IEC 17020
Many facilities present major accident risks for workers if they are not correctly installed or maintained. The same applies for installations that can deteriorate over time.
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For timely detection of any deterioration likely to constitute a hazard, employers are responsible for ensuring that the necessary checks are carried out. They also need to take the necessary measures to fix these problems.
By establishing confidence in the inspections carried out, accreditation allows employers to address the challenges of safety in the workplace.
Accredited inspections contribute in this way to reducing the number of workplace accidents recorded annually.