Implementing integrated management systems using a risk analysis based approach

Abstract

The survey made within companies in the frame of the Leonardo da Vinci project “Technological Training for SME’s” (Leonardo da Vinci project CZ/98/1/82530/PI/III.1.a/FPI “Technological Training for SME’s” (1998–2001) [1]), English version. Ostrava: b.n., 2001 (coordinator A. Labodova)) documented the need for effective ways of integrating currently separate management systems for quality management, environmental management and health and safety. According to the evolution of such management systems, it is increasingly desirable and feasible to integrate these systems into one complex system for each company. Different approaches for integrating and gaining advantages from this integration are reviewed in this paper. Two ways of integration are discussed—firstly the introduction of individual systems followed by the integration of the originally separate systems, and secondly the development and implementation of an integrated management system, integrated from the very beginning. The procedure of a detailed methodology for the implementation of an occupational health and safety system, which was developed within research for Ph.D. thesis (Labodova A. The implementation of integrated management system. Ph.D. thesis, VSB—Technical University Ostrava, Czech Republic; 2002) based on an established risk assessment methodology (Risk Management. Leonardo da Vinci project no. CZ/98/1/82530/PI/III.1.a/FPI “Technological Training for SME’s”, English version. Ostrava: b.n., 2001, Module 3, Level 3 (project coordinator A. Labodova)), was used as a particular system approach and also for the implementation of integrated management system based on risk analysis on greenfield. Both ways were tested in the form of case studies. Both case studies have demonstrated the functioning of the theoretical model for implementation of risk analysis based management systems.