7 Things You Need to Know About ISO 45001:2018

ISO 45001:2018 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. Here are seven key things you need to know about ISO 45001:2018:

Focus on Occupational Health and Safety: ISO 45001 emphasizes the importance of providing a safe and healthy workplace for employees and others affected by an organization's activities. It aims to prevent work-related injuries, ill-health, and fatalities.

Adoption of High-Level Structure: ISO 45001 follows the Annex SL framework, which is a common high-level structure for management system standards. This facilitates integration with other ISO management system standards like ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management).

Process Approach: The standard promotes a process-based approach to managing occupational health and safety. This involves identifying relevant processes, their interactions, and establishing controls to manage associated risks.

Risk-Based Thinking: ISO 45001 incorporates risk-based thinking to identify and address hazards and risks that could impact occupational health and safety. Organizations are required to assess risks, implement controls, and continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these controls.

Leadership and Worker Participation: The standard emphasizes the leadership's role in establishing, implementing, and maintaining an OH&S management system. It also promotes worker participation and consultation in matters related to occupational health and safety.

Performance Evaluation and Improvement: ISO 45001 requires organizations to monitor, measure, analyze, and evaluate their OH&S performance. By setting objectives and targets, organizations can drive continual improvement in occupational health and safety performance.

Transition from OHSAS 18001: ISO 45001 replaces OHSAS 18001 as the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. Organizations certified to OHSAS 18001 are encouraged to transition to ISO 45001 to benefit from its broader scope and alignment with other ISO management system standards.

By understanding these key aspects of ISO 45001:2018, organizations can effectively implement and maintain an occupational health and safety management system ISO 45001 that prioritizes the well-being of workers and contributes to a safer working environment. It is essential to engage with relevant stakeholders, conduct proper training, and allocate necessary resources to successfully adopt and certify to ISO 45001:2018.