ISO 45001

What is ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management?

Health and safety risks cost businesses a tremendous amount of money every year. Over 6300 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases – that’s nearly 2.3 million every year.  The burden of occupational injuries and diseases is significant, both for employers and the general economy, resulting in losses from early retirements, staff absence, and soaring insurance costs.

Addressing this market need, ISO has developed a new standard, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Requirements, that will help organizations reduce this burden by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks, and create better, safer working conditions

ISO 45001, the much anticipated and newly developed international standard for occupational health and safety, was released on March 12, 2018. This is the first global standard addressing the management of workplace risks to prevent injuries, health issues, and fatalities and to support safer working environments.

For organizations seeking management system certification, ISO 45001 provides a framework to develop a management system needed to reduce work injuries and improve your brand’s reputation while increasing your capacity.

Who is ISO 45001 suitable for?

The standard is flexible and can be adapted to manage occupational health and safety and suits any organization including:

  • Large organizations and enterprises
  • Small and medium-sized companies
  • Public and not-for-profit organizations
  • Non-government organizations (NGOs) and charities
  • Any company that prioritizes worker safety

Why is ISO 45001 good for your organization?

  • Identify and control health and safety risks in the workplace
  • Prevent accidents and incidents
  • Improve employee trust, morale, and productivity by renewing attention to employees’ physical and mental wellbeing helping to reduce staff turnover
  • Increase job satisfaction
  • Enhance stakeholder confidence
  • Enhanced reputation and credibility in the marketplace
  • Potential financial benefits by demonstration of your commitment to worker safety, avoidance of fines and penalties, and the high cost of employee accidents.
  • Strengthen compliance with relevant health and safety laws and regulations

Outline of requirements in ISO 45001

Foreword

Introduction

1 Scope

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4    Context of the organization

  • The organization and its context
  • Needs and expectations of workers and other interested parties
  • Determining the scope of the OH&S
  • OH&S management system

5    Leadership and worker participation

  • Leadership and commitment
  • OH&S policy
  • Organizational roles, responsibilities, and authorities
  • Consultation and participation of workers

6    Planning

  • Risks and opportunities
  • Hazard identification and assessment of risks and opportunities
  • Determination of legal and other requirements
  • Planning action
  • OH&S objectives and planning to achieve them
  • OH&S objectives
  • Planning to achieve OH&S objectives

7    Support

  • Resources
  • Competence
  • Awareness
  • Communication
  • Documented information

8    Operation

  • Operational planning and control
  • Eliminating hazards and reducing OH&S risks
  • Management of change
  • Procurement
  • Emergency preparedness and response

9    Performance evaluation

  • Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and performance evaluation
  • Evaluation of compliance
  • Internal audit
  • Management review

10    Improvement

  • Incident, nonconformity, and corrective action
  • Continual improvement

STEPS TO CERTIFICATION

The certification process involves the following steps:

  • Gap Analysis: An assessment of the organization’s existing health and safety management system against the requirements of ISO 45001:2018.
  • Documentation: Development of policies, procedures, and records to meet the requirements of the standard.
  • Implementation: Implementation of the health and safety management system in the organization.
  • Internal Audit: Conducting an internal audit of the health and safety management system to ensure compliance with the standard.
  • Certification Audit: An independent audit by a certification body to assess the effectiveness of the health and safety management system and its compliance with the requirements of ISO 45001:2018.
  • Certification: Issuance of the ISO 45001:2018 certificate by the certification body.
  • Annual surveillance audits and triennial recertification audits required to maintain certification validity