10.10

Foreword

International standards for humanitarian demining programmes were first proposed by working groups at an international technical conference in Denmark, in July 1996. Criteria were prescribed for all aspects of demining, standards were recommended and a new universal definition of “clearance” was agreed. In late 1996, the principles proposed in Denmark were developed by a UN-led working group and the International Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations were developed. A first edition was issued by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in March 1997.

The scope of these original standards has since been expanded to include the other components of mine action and to reflect changes to operational procedures, practices and norms. The standards were re-developed and renamed as International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) with the first edition produced in October 2001.

The United Nations has a general responsibility for enabling and encouraging the effective management of mine action programmes, including the development and maintenance of standards. UNMAS, therefore, is the office within the United Nations responsible for the development and maintenance of IMAS. IMAS are produced with the assistance of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.

The work of preparing, reviewing and revising IMAS is conducted by technical committees, with the support of international, governmental and non-governmental organizations. The latest version of each standard, together with information on the work of the technical committees, can be found at www.mineactionstandards.org. Individual IMAS are reviewed at least every five years to reflect developing mine action norms and practices and to incorporate changes to international regulations and requirements.

Introduction

The aim of this standard is to provide guidance for the development and implementation of occupational health and safety (OHS) management systems for use in mine action (MA).

The document "IMAS 10.10: Occupational health and safety – general requirements" sets out a comprehensive framework for managing occupational health and safety (OHS) in mine action organizations. It serves as a key reference for national mine action authorities, employers, and employees involved in demining and other related activities. This second edition aligns closely with ISO 45001:2018, which provides international guidelines for OHS management systems.

The document emphasizes the importance of systematic risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation in hazardous environments. It highlights key responsibilities for various stakeholders, including employers' obligation to provide safe work conditions, conduct regular safety audits, and ensure proper training and supervision. Similarly, it outlines employees' duties in maintaining their own safety and that of others.

By adhering to the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, this standard promotes continuous improvement in OHS performance. It also stresses the significance of leadership, worker participation, and alignment with national and international legislation. Through the implementation of this standard, mine action organizations can better protect workers, reduce workplace hazards, and improve overall safety outcomes, ensuring operations are conducted safely and effectively.

The scope of this document is standardization in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS) management to enable an organization to control its OHS risks and improve its OHS performance.

This standard provides specifications and guidance for the development and implementation of OHS systems for use in mine action.  

It is intended to ensure that mine action organizations develop comprehensive OHS management systems (OHSMS) that identify, evaluate, and mitigate risks systematically, in alignment with ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems– Requirements with guidance for use. This standard emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement through the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle, leadership commitment, and worker participation in OHSMS.

This document is meant read in conjunction with other IMAS documents relevant to OHS to ensure comprehensive coverage of safety and health requirements.

2. Normative references

A list of normative references is given in Annex A. Normative references are important documents to which reference is made in this standard and which form part of the provisions of this standard.

3. Terms and definitions

A complete glossary of all the terms, definitions and abbreviations used in the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) series is given in IMAS 04.10.

In the IMAS series, the words “shall”, “should” and “may” are used to indicate the intended degree of compliance:

• “shall” is used to indicate requirements, methods or specifications that are to be applied in order to conform to the standard;
• “should” is used to indicate preferred requirements, methods or specifications; and
• “may” is used to indicate a possible method or course of action.

3.1
accident
undesired event which results in harm

3.2
audit
assessment of the adequacy of management controls to ensure the economical and efficient use of resources; the safeguarding of assets; the reliability of financial and other information; the compliance with regulations, rules and established policies; the effectiveness of risk management; and the adequacy of organizational structures, systems and processes

3.3
corrective action
action to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and to prevent recurrence

Note 1 to entry: Reflecting principles from ISO 45001:2018.

3.4
hazard
potential source of harm

3.5
incident
event that gives rise to an accident or has the potential to lead to an accident

3.6
national mine action authority
NMAA
government entity, often an inter-ministerial committee, in an EO-affected country charged with the responsibility for broad strategic, policy and regulatory decisions related to mine action

Note 1 to entry: In the absence of an NMAA, it may be necessary and appropriate for the UN, or some other body, to assume some or all of the responsibilities of an NMAA.

3.7
occupational health and safety management system 
OHSMS
set of interrelated or interacting elements to establish an occupational health and safety policy and objectives, and to achieve those objectives

3.8
risk control
actions implementing risk management decisions

Note 1 to entry: This definition is aligned with ISO 45001:2018.

3.9
worker
persons performing work or work-related activities that are under the control of the organization.

Note 1 to entry: Reflects principles from ISO 45001:2018.

4. General requirements

It is necessary to clarify the meaning of the term “safe” in respect of mine action. To say that a situation is safe does not necessarily imply that all risk has been removed. It merely assumes that the risk has been reduced to a tolerable level – that is, ”to a level which is accepted in a given context based on the current values of society”.  (See ISO Guide 51:2014, Safety aspects – Guidelines for their inclusion in standards).

The NMAA shall establish and maintain OHSMSs. Employers (governments, non-governmental organizations and commercial entities) should also establish and maintain their own OHSMSs. Such management systems shall distinguish between the obligations and responsibilities at the national level, and those of the employer and employee as proposed in ISO 45001 and ILO Convention No. 155 (C155) and Recommendation No.164 (R164).

In many countries, national legislation will exist which outlines country specific standards for OHS including workers’ rights and employer responsibilities. The generation, oversight, and enforcement of these standards is likely to be the primary duty of a government ministry or department which may not be the same one tasked with oversight of mine action activities in the country.  Accordingly, employers working in the mine action sector shall be responsible for being aware of and adhering to national legislation concerned with OHS even if it lies outside of the framework established by the NMAA and codified in national mine action standards. The NMAA shall ensure that it understands and takes into account relevant legislation when establishing any mine action sector specific OHS standards or policy.

5. Responsibilities and obligations

5.1 National mine action authorities

The NMAA, or organization acting on its behalf, shall establish a system to issue or approve regulations, codes of practice, standard operating procedures (SOPs) or other suitable guidance on OHS in the working environment in order to:

1. provide information and advice, in an appropriate manner, to mine action organizations with a view to identifying risks to reduce hazards as far as is reasonably practicable;
2. undertake audits or promote studies and research to identify OHS hazards, as well as corrective actions and risk control measures to overcome them; and
3. periodically review standards concerning OHS and the working environment in the light of experience and advances in technology. 

NMAAs should also:

4. ensure that mine action organizations comply with national OHS regulations, codes of practice, SOPs, and other guidelines;
5. coordinate and facilitate OHS training programmes for mine action organizations;
6. monitor and evaluate the implementation of OHSMSs within mine action organizations;
7. report on OHS performance and incidents;
8. provide technical assistance and support to mine action organizations to enhance their OHS practices.

NMAA shall develop, implement and maintain OHS management systems in accordance with national legislation. In the absence of appropriate national OHS legislation, standards, and guidelines, the NMAA should use the ISO 45001. A summary of ISO 45001 is given in Annex C for reference

5.2 Employers

Employers shall:

1. provide and maintain safe workplaces, machinery and equipment, and adopt safe work practices and procedures with a view to eliminating hazards or reducing them as much as practicable;
2. provide adequate supervision and training (development and refresher training where appropriate);
3. provide, at no cost to employees, adequate PPE and protective clothing;
4. provide, at no cost to employees, adequate health care and emergency medical support in case of accidents;
5. set out in writing a safety policy and arrangements, where appropriate in SOPs, and bring this information to the notice of every employee in a language or medium they readily understand;
6. verify the implementation of applicable standards on OHS and periodically undertake systematic safety and health audits;  
7. prepare and maintain safety records as are considered necessary by the NMAA or authorities, including records of notifiable occupational accidents and incidents; and
8. ensure that adequate insurance cover exists for all employees against death, disability and injury.

Employers should:

09. in accordance with national practice, appoint delegates and committees to represent the employees’ views on OHS matters. In this regard, provide such delegates and committees with access to appropriate information and advice; 
10. develop, implement and maintain OHSMS and plans in accordance with national standards and guidelines. In the absence of appropriate national OHS standards and guidelines, demining organizations may use the ISO 45001 to assist them develop suitable systems and plans. A summary of ISO 45001 is given in Annex C for reference.

In the absence of an NMAA or authorities, the employer should assume additional responsibilities. These include, but are not restricted to:

11. co-operate with other employers in the same country to ensure consistency of standards; and
12. assist the host nation, during the establishment of an NMAA, with assistance in framing national OHS regulations and codes of practice.

5.3 Employees 

ILO C155 and R164 acknowledge that employees have certain obligations with regard to OHS. Employees shall:

1. take all reasonable care for their own safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work;
2. comply with all reasonable and lawful instructions given for their own conduct and safety;
3. use safety devices and PPE consistently and correctly, and do not render them inoperative; and
4. report to their immediate superior any situation which they have reason to believe may present a hazard and which they cannot correct themselves.

Annex A (Normative) References

The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies

1. IMAS 04.10, Glossary of mine action terms, definitions and abbreviations
2. ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
3. ILO Convention No. 155, Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
4. ILO Recommendation No. 164, Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, 1981

Annex B (Normative) References

1. IMAS 10.20, Safety and occupational health – demining worksite safety
2. IMAS 10.30, Safety and occupational health – personal protective equipment
3. IMAS 10.40, Medical support to demining operations
4. IMAS 10.50, Storage, transportation and handling of explosives in mine action
5. IMAS 10.60, Investigation and reporting of accidents and incidents
6. ISO Guide 51, Safety aspects – Guidelines for their inclusion in standards

Annex C (Informative) Summary of ISO 15001

C.1 Key elements of ISO 45001:2018 – Context of the organization

ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational hearth and safety (OHS) management systems, replacing ISO 18001. It provides a framework for managing OHS risks and opportunities, enhancing safety, reducing workplace hazards, and improving overall health and safety performance.

• Understanding the organization's context and the needs and expectations of workers and other interested parties
• Determining the scope of the OHSMS
• Leadership and worker participation
• Emphasizes top management's role in leading and promoting a culture of health and safety
• Ensures worker participation and consultation in the OHSMS

C.1.1 Planning

• Identification and assessment of OHS risks and opportunities
• Determination of legal and other requirements
• Establishment of OHS objectives and planning to achieve them

C.1.2 Support

• Provision of resources, competence, awareness, and communication
• Maintenance of documented information required for the OHSMS
• Establishment of OHS objectives and planning to achieve them

 

C.1.3 Operation

• Implementation of emergency preparedness and response procedures
• Provision of resources, competence, awareness and communication

C.1.4 Performance Evaluation

• Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of OHS performance
• Internal auditing and management review of the OHSMS

C.1.5 Improvement

• Actions to address nonconformities and incidents
• Continuous improvement of the OHSMS

C.2 Benefits of ISO 45001:2018

• Improved ability to respond to regulatory compliance issues
• Reduction in the overall costs of incidents
• Reduced downtime and the costs of disruption to operations
• Reduction in insurance premiums
• Recognition for having achieved an international benchmark for OHS

C.3 Transition from Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Specification (OHSAS) 18001  to ISO 45001

Organizations previously certified to OHSAS 18001 are encouraged transition to ISO 45001. The main differences include a stronger emphasis on the organization’s context, leadership and worker participation, as well as a more integrated approach to managing OHS risks and opportunities.

For detailed guidance on implementing ISO 45001, organizations can refer to ISO 45001 and related resources available from ISO and other authoritative bodies.

Amendment record

Management of IMAS amendments

The IMAS series of standards are subject to formal review on a three-yearly basis, however this does not preclude amendments being made within these three-year periods for reasons of operational safety and efficiency or for editorial purposes.

As amendments are made to this IMAS they will be given a number, and the date and general details of the amendment shown in the table below. The amendment will also be shown on the cover page of the IMAS by the inclusion under the edition date of the phrase ‘incorporating amendment number(s) 1 etc.’

As the formal reviews of each IMAS are completed new editions may be issued. Amendments up to the date of the new edition will be incorporated into the new edition and the amendment record table cleared. Recording of amendments will then start again until a further review is carried out.

1. The most recently amended IMAS will be the versions that are posted on the IMAS website at www.mineactionstandards.org. 

Number	Date	Amendment Details