ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
Open Access
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
A New Approach to Examining the Current State of ISO 45001 in the Education Sector: Gap Analysis
Rabia Balcı Department of Occupational Safety, Institute of Science, Marmara University Yahya Bozkurt, PhD Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Technology Faculty, Marmara University
dance with the ISO 45001 standard. The objectives include identifying any deficien- cies to enhance work performance, reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, increase employee well-being and satisfaction, and improve commitment toward social respon- sibility and competitive advantage in the education sector. Implementing the ISO 45001 Standard in the Education Sector Adapting ISO 45001 can be challenging because it creates new hurdles, requires extra financial resources, and results in increased training costs initially (Yurizki & Ikatrinasari, 2022). Changing priorities, limited resources, resistance to change, lack of management commitment, diculty in identifying risks, limited expertise, low sta commitment, chal- lenges in maintaining compliance, and lack of sta involvement can also further complicate the process (Morgado et al., 2019; Mousavi et al., 2020; Shokri et al., 2018; Yahya et al., 2018; Yurizki & Ikatrinasari, 2022). To overcome these challenges, an edu- cational institution may choose to imple- ment the general structure of the ISO 45001 standard, which involves seven key compo- nents: organizational context, leadership and employee involvement, planning, sup- port, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement (Bao et al., 2017; Darabont et al., 2017, 2018; ISO, 2018). Once the institution has implemented these seven components successfully or ensured full compliance with ISO 45001 requirements, it can request an audit from an organization with expertise in the field. After a successful audit or inspection by OHS experts, the educational institution is awarded an ISO 45001 certificate, which is recognized internationally.
b:;r)+; Educational institutions can implement the ISO 45001 management system to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all individuals involved. This article proposes a gap analysis method to identify gaps between the existing and desired health and safety conditions in an educational institution. To test the applicability of the method, data from a sample of five high schools in the Merzifon District of Amasya Province in Turkey were used. The results of the gap analysis reveal a notable gap between the existing occupational health and safety conditions and the standards proposed by ISO 45001 in some of the selected educational institutions. This finding highlights the need for these educational institutions to implement the appropriate measures to close this gap. Keywords: gap analysis, ISO 45001, occupational health and safety, education sector, Turkey
I ntroduction The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) standard in March 2018, replacing the outdated OHSMS 18001 (ISO, 2018). Unlike its predecessor, ISO 45001 considers both risks and oppor- tunities, making the standard more compre- hensive in preventing hazards and improving performance and assessment. ISO 45001 is applicable to all organizations, regardless of size or type (Liu et al., 2023); implementa- tion of the standard is crucial for demonstrat- ing the organization’s commitment to occu- pational health and safety (OHS), complying with legal and regulatory requirements, and protecting brands and reputations. Institutions and companies usually use an audit checklist approach to assess their compliance with OHSMS requirements and identify areas for improvement (Delvika &
Mustafa, 2019). An alternative approach is a gap analysis, which is a useful tool for organi- zations seeking to a) transition from OHSMS 18001 to ISO 45001; b) align their OHSMS with their business strategy, mission, and cul- ture; and c) further improve their OHS per- formance and demonstrate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The gap analysis method typically is applied to industrial sectors; however, this method has not been widely applied in the context of education. This article adapts the gap analysis for ISO 45001, reflecting the spe- cific needs and expectations of internal and external partners—and taking into account the unique risks and hazards present in edu- cational institutions, including kindergar- tens, primary schools, secondary schools, high schools, and universities. Indeed, the gap analysis method presented here can be regarded as a way for educational institutions to audit themselves in accor-
26
Volume 87 • Number 3
Powered by FlippingBook