CRANE, Ind. – Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) is the first organization in the NAVSEA enterprise to pass an international safety management system (SMS) certification after five years of preparation. The certification is called the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S), or short for ISO 45001. ISO developed ISO 45001 for organizations to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks, and create better and safer working conditions.
“Passing this certification means that NSWC Crane is set up for success to ensure the safety of our workforce,” said CAPT Duncan McKay, the Commanding Officer at NSWC Crane. “The team worked for years to ensure we were prepared for the certification; this is a testament to their work ethic and dedication to creating a safer environment for our workforce.”
ISO 45001 was developed with input from working professionals and organizations worldwide. It is an internationally recognized standard for improving OH&S performance. Matt Underwood, OH&S Lead for NSWC Crane, said this certification benefits NSWC Crane today and in the future.
“Having completed the ISO 45001 audit and receiving official notification from Quality Systems Registrars (QSR) of our certification is evidence that we have a strong program for hazard identification and risk assessment,” said Underwood. “It also allows us to meet the requirements of the Department of the Navy’s Safety and Occupational Health Program Instruction (OPNAVINST 5100.23H), which mandates the adoption of an SMS. Now that we are ISO 45001 certified, we have an SMS in place that we can use to monitor the effectiveness of our OH&S programs. With annual internal audits and an external audit every three years, we will stay focused on continual improvement. We will better be able to reduce workplace injuries and further improve our hazard identification and risk assessment.”
Underwood said there are other long-term benefits for the organization.
“The ISO 45001 certification boosts stakeholder confidence, increases productivity, lowers insurance premiums, and identifies opportunities for improvement,” says Underwood. “It also helps NSWC Crane stand out as an industry leader, helps NSWC Crane gain a competitive advantage, and shifts the organization from being reactive to being proactive.”
The ISO 45001 Standard was published in March of 2018 and NSWC Crane has been preparing since then to certify this year. NSWC Crane Safety employees formed the ISO 45001 Focus Team to achieve this certification:
- Brad Kelley, Command Safety Manager
- Matt Underwood, Lead, Safety
- Amy Smith, Safety Specialist
- Ryan Wood, Battery Safety Officer
- Amanda Ashworth, Safety Specialist
About NSWC Crane NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.