There is a positive relationship between the accredited certification of occupational health and safety management systems and a lower risk level for companies: this was the conclusion of an Italian study by Accredia (the Italian Accreditation Body) and Inail (the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work). The study, The effectiveness of accredited certifications for occupational health and safety management systems. Technical standards, regulations, support and assessment of results: from the current situation to future prospects, was published in April 2024.
This is a topic of great importance, given data that reports three fatal accidents at work every day in Italy. The research, in its 4th edition, shows the relationship between certifications issued under accreditation according to the international standard ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use and the reduction of accidents at work. The results obtained, by analyzing the information on certified companies from the Accredia database and the Inail database, confirm a reduction in the statistical index of frequency and in the gravity ratio of accidents, consistent with findings from the previous three analyses.
Since the introduction in Italy of the international standard, the adoption of the related certification among companies has increased every year. The latest data gathered in October 2023 indicated there were approximately 32,000 company sites, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which had chosen an occupational health and safety management system, certified according to ISO 45001 by the 49 conformity assessment bodies accredited by Accredia.
The report on the effectiveness of accredited certifications, based on data relating to the period 2017-2021, shows a lower frequency of accidents in certified companies of 22.6% for all activities, with highly differentiated results depending on the economic sector in question: in the chemical sector, it can reach a maximum of 40.9%. In general, the reductions in the frequency and in the gravity ratio of accidents, which in certified companies is less than 29.2% on average, are significant in important and high-risk sectors, such as construction.
The mutual recognition system for accreditation also enables Italian companies certified under accreditation according to ISO 45001, which invest in human capital and technological innovation, to assert these certifications on international markets, where the adoption of international standards plays a central role.
Furthermore, accredited certification is recognized as a rewarding requirement for participation in public and private tenders, which is accompanied by rewards and funding for companies that invest in improving corporate structures aimed at safer work practices.
Inail also provides financing to companies for the development of projects that concern the modernization of plants and equipment, through innovative technological solutions, the adoption of organization and management models and occupational health and safety management systems, including certified ones.