ISO 45001 certification — continuing a longstanding commitment to our employees and the workplace
Author: Amanda Shonubi, Health & Safety Manager
At atNorth, we believe the safety and wellbeing of our employees, facilities and workplace are of critical importance. This is why we’re so proud to have recently achieved the ISO 45001 certification, which has been a core focus for the company as we look to continue our unwavering commitment to creating a safe, healthy, and more productive work environment for everyone.
In 2022, we conducted a materiality assessment, a process to identify and prioritize the most important environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues that align with our business goals. This assessment highlighted the growing importance of health and safety based on both stakeholder and employee feedback and as such, we began working towards the ISO 45001 standard for occupational health and safety.
Prioritizing employee health and safety
ISO 45001 is an international standard for an effective occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. It provides a framework for organizations to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks, and enhance overall workplace health and safety conditions. The standard is designed to help organizations of all sizes and industries ensure the safety and wellbeing of their employees.
Successfully obtaining this standard was a rigorous, company-wide effort that underscores our dedication to safety across all our sites. Throughout 2023, we diligently implemented the OH&S management system across all our sites, refining processes and enhancing training in the process.
Championing safety and wellbeing
Our goal has been to consistently maintain safe workplaces for employees, customers, and contractors. To do this, we created our health and safety policy to emphasize the importance of undertaking preventative measures while also conducting comprehensive investigations to ensure safe and appropriate actions across our sites. We have made significant investment into state-of-the-art PPE equipment and safe tools to control risk. We have also equipped our employees with training and monitoring to enhance their knowledge, skills and ability to manage such situations and our company culture and values encourage open and honest dialogue among everyone.
Achieving ISO 45001 certification is not just a milestone but a testament to atNorth’s dedication to excellence across the whole of the organization. This extends to our workplace safety, but also our drive to continue to drive positive morale, boost retention and strengthen our organizational resilience. This reflects our company’s proactive approach to identifying potential hazards, mitigating risks, and fostering a culture of safety and well-being.
Dedication to the ISO family
Adhering to international standards is vital for our operation and we recognize the critical value and benefits of all ISO certifications. Alongside the ISO 45001 standard, atNorth is also certified according to both the ISO 27001 information security management system and ISO 14001 environmental management system.
In 2023, we extended our ISO 14001 certification to our new data center facilities. In addition, as part of the procurement of Gompute in 2023, we have also extended our ISO 27001 framework to ensure alignment with all existing certifications across the whole business.
Always looking forward
We are currently in the process of implementing ISO 9001 quality management system and the framework of ISO 50001 energy management system. Achieving these standards, in addition to those we already maintain, will be critical for our business and overarching mission to be the decarbonization partner of choice, delivering sustainable data center infrastructure that contributes to a healthier workplace, environment, and planet.