Diagnosis of the Gap Between the Actual Situation and the Requirements of the International Standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management System ISO 45001:2018 - A Case Study at the College of Administration and Economics / University of Kufa

Abstract

 This study aims to diagnose the reality of occupational health and safety at the College of Administration and Economics at the University of Kufa, through the international standard (ISO 45001:2018), to determine the gap in applying the requirements of the standard specification. The problem of the study was the lack of clarity regarding the level of compatibility of current practices and procedures in the College with the requirements of the standard, the failure to determine the size of the gap in its requirements, and the lack of full awareness of the practices and procedures that must be taken in the field of applying the standard in the College to keep pace with international developments. A checklist was used to study the case and diagnose the gap with the requirements of applying the international standard (ISO 45001:2018) at the College of Administration and Economics at the University of Kufa, through the use of a three-point Likert scale to determine the level of application of the standard, by verifying whether the checklist included (51) items through which the amount of the gap can be measured. The study concluded that insufficient resources are allocated, and therefore it is not possible to determine a time horizon for the full application of the standard in the foreseeable future. The percentage of the total gap in applying and documenting the requirements of the standard reached (22.22%) and the percentage of the total actual results reached (77.78%), and the amount of the gap in application and documentation was (34).

This percentage is considered largely acceptable and indicates that the College's performance regarding occupational health and safety management activities and practices is well prepared to start providing all the necessary requirements towards obtaining a certificate of conformity with the standard (ISO 45001:2018) if the top management decides to do so.