What is ISO 45001?

Published in March 2018, ISO 45001 became the first global standard of its kind, giving organisations a universally accepted framework for improving employee health and safety, reducing workplace risks, and creating healthier, safer working conditions.

ISO 45001 aligns with ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environment Management) and builds on OHSAS 18001 – a framework aimed at controlling risks.

The product of collaboration between more than 70 countries – the system is designed to work with any organisation, large or small. The framework is designed to control health and safety risks, reduce potential accidents, aid legislative compliance and improve overall performance.

The standard guides organisations in the development and implementation of health and safety policies with the right objectives. It also addresses the fact that an increasing number of companies want detailed information on their suppliers’ occupational health and safety practices to protect their brands.

Some of the concerns ISO 45001 specifically addresses include:

• The proper way to develop a policy that fits all organisations regardless of size or culture.
• Meeting the needs of companies that desire more information from suppliers.
• Offering third-party certifications to assure a business is meeting standards.
• Manageability for businesses of all sizes. Allowing businesses in any industry to create benchmarks for their health and safety standards.

The standards within ISO 45001 are not necessarily new or even tough to implement. It is simply a systematic approach to ensure all aspects are considered when directing operations in the workplace. It stresses the responsibilities of those in authority and acknowledges the necessity of everyone in the workplace to participate.

Simple, manageable steps, and an all-inclusive culture where everyone participates are key to safety success. Many companies already have processes in place to satisfy 45001 – these principles are now affordable for even the smallest business.

Proactively improve OHS performance by:

• developing and implementing an OHS policy and OHS objectives.
• establishing systematic processes which take into account its risks and opportunities, and its legal requirements.
• determining the hazards associated with its activities; putting in controls and seeking to eliminate them.
• establishing controls to manage its risks and legal requirements.
• increasing awareness of its OHS risks.
• evaluating its OHS performance and seeking to improve it.
• ensuring workers take an active role in OHS matters.

Benefits to the organisation are both direct and indirect:

• improving its ability to respond to regulatory compliance issues.
• reducing the overall costs of incidents.
• reducing downtime and the costs of disruption to operations.
• reducing the cost of insurance premiums.
• reducing absenteeism and employee turnover rates.
• recognition for having achieved an international benchmark (which may in turn influence customers).