27 Sep 2021

ISO 45001

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About ISO 45001

ISO 45001:2018 provides requirements and guidance for the adoption and implementation of an occupational health and safety management system to improve health and safety performance in the workplace. It will help organizations comply with OHSAS 18001:2007 and/or meet similar legal requirements by proactively preventing injuries, incidents, diseases, and any adverse effects on workers in the work environment.

ISO 45001 and its Integration

In addition, ISO 45001:2018 can be used as an integrated management system standard to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of other specific standards, such as ISO 14001:2015, OHSAS 18001:2007, ISPS Code, ISO 22301:2012, BS OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Requirements (May 2014), etc.

The first edition of ISO 45001 was published on 30 March 2018. The second edition is Amendment 1 to the first edition that has been published on 29 October 2018.

The new standard ISO 45001:2018 was developed by Technical Committee ISO/TC 176, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. It is the first new edition of this standard since the publication of the previous version (ISO 45001:2007) in 2007.

Development of ISO 45001

The development of ISO 45001:2018 included a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from the International Council on Mining and Metals, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Labour Organization (ILO), the Petroleum Industry Association, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe-International Transport Forum, World Health Organization (WHO).

The ISO 45001 standard provides organizations with guidance on how to address their health and safety responsibilities. It is designed to provide a framework for integrating ISO 45001 into an organization's existing management systems or complying with legal requirements by developing an integrated management system that covers all significant aspects of occupational health and safety.

ISO 45001 provides requirements and guidance that focus on enabling organizations to prevent injuries and incidents and protect all workers in the work environment. It is applicable to all types of organizations regardless of size or complexity, either as a stand-alone standard or integrated with other management system standards.

Applicability of ISO 45001

ISO 45001:2018 is applicable in all sectors of industry but contains specific requirements for organizations with hazardous operations or working environments, including mining, oil and gas extraction, agriculture, forestry, and fishing. It applies to all types of organizations regardless of size or complexity. The standard is intended to be flexible enough for small and medium-sized organizations as well as those with a global scope.

The standard is designed to be flexible and realistic, allowing organizations of all sizes and sectors to implement health and safety management that meets their needs. The requirements are scalable so that small organizations can apply them in proportion to the risks of their activities while complex organizational structures faced by larger businesses with multiple locations or divisions can use an approach tailored to their specific needs.

ISO 45001 as Standalone

Organizations can use ISO 45001 as a stand-alone management system standard or integrate it into existing management systems such as those for quality, environmental, and/or social responsibility. It can be integrated with ISO 9001:2015 and/or ISO 14001:2015.

How does ISO 45001 ensure Occupational Health and Safety?

A key element of ISO 45001:2018 is the use of a tiered approach to managing OHS. The approach is based on an understanding that all organizations should identify hazards, determine the associated risks to workers and other people, take action to eliminate or minimize those risks as far as is reasonably practicable, monitor the effectiveness of implemented measures, and continually improve their OHS management system to further reduce risks.

Principles of OHS

The standard is based on a set of principles for OHS management systems which must be applied when developing, implementing, or improving an organization's OHS management system in order to ensure that required actions are taken with respect to the hazards, risks, and protection measures relating to workers' health and safety.

These principles are derived from the established link between workers' health and safety, risk management, corporate management responsibility, consultation with workers and their representatives, executive leadership for OHS at all levels of the organization, integration into business planning processes, continuous improvement of OHS performance based on benchmarking against best practices in order to achieve a progressive OHS management system.

Structure of ISO 45001:2018

ISO 45001:2018 is a management system standard that sets out requirements for creating an effective OHS management system and to encourage continual improvement of its effectiveness. It enables organizations to understand the importance of managing health and safety, identify hazards and implement measures necessary to prevent them from affecting workers.

HSL Structure

The High-Level Structure (HLS) is a framework for writing future ISO management system standards that have been standardized. The ISO/IEC Directives define it in Appendix SL.

ISO 45001:2018 is divided into ten parts, organized as follows:

Part 1 (Scope and Normative References) provides the scope of the standard and sets out requirements for normative references.

Part 2 (Normative Framework) contains two Subparts that provide a normative framework that organizations must adopt in order to comply with the standard.

Part 3 (Requirements) provides requirements that organizations must meet when implementing an OHS management system based on the normative framework given in Subpart 2. This part also includes references to how these requirements can be practically applied by organizations, including examples of controls and other types of evidence needed for compliance purposes.

Part 4 (Management Responsibility) provides guidance to organizations on how the components of management responsibility should be established and implemented in an OHS management system.

Part 5 (Planning) provides guidance to organizations on establishing, implementing, and improving plans that are required for an effective OHS management system.

Part 6 (Hazard Identification) provides guidance on how hazards are to be identified, the methods of risk assessment that may be employed, and how this information can support effective decision-making.

Part 7 (Evaluation) provides guidance on evaluating whether action has been taken on hazards, risks, and protection measures found in earlier stages of the OHS management system, including both internal and external evaluations.

Part 8 (Performance Improvement) provides guidance on establishing and executing a process for continually improving an organization's OHS management system by identifying areas where performance can be improved.

Part 9 (Management Review) provides guidance on how the components of management review should be established and implemented in an OHS management system.

Part 10 (Resource Management) provides information concerning resources required to implement an effective OHS management system, including examples of records and documentation.

Guidance is also provided in the PAS on how to apply ISO 45001:2018 in specific industry sectors or for organizations working to achieve another standard's requirements (such as ISO 9001) or within certain types of HSL management systems.

Benefits of ISO 45001 Certification

ISO 45001 Certification is the best way to demonstrate your organization's commitment to health and safety management. It can help organizations identify hazards, manage risks, and adopt practices that will prevent OHS incidents. Organizations with a good OHS Management System have been shown to be more productive and profitable while enjoying better employee relations.

The main benefits of ISO 45001 Certification are:

– Improved OHS performance and reduced liability;

– Enhanced customer and employer confidence;

– Improved recruitment and retention of employees;

– Less time spent on health and safety as it becomes an integral part of business management;

– Significantly reduced risk of accidents, incidents, injuries, and damage.