Ocean Lanka Pvt Ltd, Sri Lanka’s largest weft knitted fabric manufacturer, announced that it has achieved the latest ISO 45001:2018 standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management Systems. This new standard replaces the previous OHSAS 18001:2007 standard, and affirms that Ocean Lanka provides a safer and healthier work environment, by proactively improving its OH&S performance.
“We are one of the first companies in the textile industry to achieve the COVID-19 updated ISO 45001 certification,” said Dr. Austin Au, Managing Director of Ocean Lanka. “The safety of our staff is of paramount importance to us. This new accreditation, along with our existing ISO accreditations for 9001 (Quality) and 14001 (Environmental) – demonstrate our commitment for the development of a culture of prevention and continuous improvement.”
Obtaining ISO 45001 guarantees that the company has implemented, among other requirements, a high-level structure with an adequate context analysis, as well as a clear focus on risks and opportunities for workers’ health and safety management. “The top management leadership as well as the co-participation of workers should be underlined, promoting a safety culture that is widely extended to all stakeholders. Our approach goes beyond traditional health and safety topics, addressing broader issues, such as labour welfare,” says Thusitha Balasooriya, Health and Safety Manager at Ocean Lanka.
About Ocean Lanka
Established in 1996, Ocean Lanka (Pvt) Ltd is Sri Lanka’s largest weft knitted fabric manufacturer with over 25 years of experience in producing high quality, world class fabrics to renowned international brands including Victoria’s Secret, PVH (Tommy Hilfiger/Calvin Klein), Nike, Uniqlo, GAP, Amazon, Michael Kors, Marks and Spencer, Lacoste, Puma, Intimissimi and Hanes. The company is a joint venture between Hong Kong based Fountain Set Holdings and local apparel giants Hirdaramani Group and Brandix Lanka Limited, and stands out as the first-ever manufacturer within the textile and apparel industry of Sri Lanka to come into system partnership with bluesign®.
