Sampling targets to assess occupational health in occupational health and safety management system audits: a mixed-methods research in Japan

Background: Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) are the foundation of occupational health and safety activities within an organization. An important element of these systems is audits. However, OHSMS auditors often lack confidence in conducting occupational health audits compared with their proficiency in conducting occupational safety audits. For occupational health to be effectively managed by OHSMS, the sampling competence of auditors engaged in third-party audits should be improved. Therefore, we conducted this study to identify appropriate sampling targets for occupational health related to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 45001.Methods: We adopted a mixed methods approach to identify appropriate sampling targets. This involved conducting focus group discussions with experts in occupational health and performing systematic text condensation analysis. The validity of our findings was further reinforced through confirmation by external auditors who specialize in ISO 45001.Results: In the qualitative phase, 6 occupational health sampling targets were identified, and of these, 5 were subsequently validated in the quantitative phase: (1) Health issues, legal requirements, and occupational health goals identified by the organization; (2) Occupational health risk assessment and control processes; (3) Processes related to occupational health and documented information showing the results of efforts; (4) Organizational roles and functions of occupational health professionals and opportunities for their professional development; and (5) Processes to ensure commitment to occupational health issues and objectives.Conclusion: To ensure effective and comprehensive occupational health audits, auditors should review these targets. This study will enhance the competence of auditors by identifying appropriate occupational health sampling targets.