WHAT IS ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is a milestone! As the world’s first International Standard dealing with health and safety at work, ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, offers a single, clear framework for all organizations wishing to improve their OH&S performance. Directed at the top management of an organization, it aims to provide a safe and healthy workplace for employees and visitors. To achieve this, it is crucial to control all factors that might result in illness, injury, and in extreme cases death, by mitigating adverse effects on the physical, mental and cognitive condition of a person – and ISO 45001 covers all of those aspects.

While ISO 45001 draws on OHSAS 18001 – the former benchmark for OH&S – it is a new and distinct standard, not a revision or update, and is due to be phased in gradually over the next three years. Organizations will therefore need to revise their current thinking and work practices in order to maintain organizational compliance.