Identification and analysis of barriers to the effectiveness of ISO 45001 certification in Chinese certified organisations: A DEMATEL-ISM approach

Since an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) provides a systematic framework for an organisation to manage occupational health and safety (OHS) risks and opportunities, an increasing number of organisations regard the implementation of an OHSMS as a tool to promote their sustainability. However, there is no consensus on whether the various types of certified OHSMSs, including ISO 45001, can achieve the intended outcomes. Therefore, it is urgent to study the factors that hinder the effective implementation of OHSMSs and the relationships between them, in order to provide guidance for improving the effectiveness of ISO 45001 certification. According to institutional theory, resource-based view, and stakeholder theory, this study identifies sixteen barriers to the effectiveness of ISO 45001 certification in the five aspects of motivation, tangible resources, intangible resources, skills and certification organisations, based on an extensive review of the literature. The study applies an integrated DEMATEL and ISM method to analyse the influence of different barriers on the effectiveness of ISO 45001 certification and the influence paths between them using the evaluation data obtained from ten experts inside and outside certified organisations. This study's findings show that employees' lack of awareness of or negative attitude towards OHS, lack of safety culture, and employee participation are the most important factors. In addition, this study concludes that inadequate internal motivation, lack of top management commitment and support, OHS policy, and financial resources within an organisation and barriers from certification organisations are the root- and deep-influence factors that can affect other factors in the process of OHSMS implementation. The findings play a better guiding role for different participants, such as organisations, third-party certification organisations, and government regulatory agencies, in developing and implementing effective measures to improve the effectiveness of ISO 45001 certification, which can effectively support an organisation's sustainable development strategy.