25. Mar 2021
A success story
3 years of ISO 45001:2018
In March 2018, ISO 45001:2018 was published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) after a long period of planning.
Quality Austria has actively participated in the development of ISO 45001 in the ISO Committees and was the first Certification Body in Austria to obtain accreditation for this standard by Akkreditierung Austria.
ISO 45001 is characterized by some special features which make it very useful in practice:
- ISO 45001 is based on Annex SL which provides compatibility with other ISO Standards including ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 9001:2015. The Annex contains a comparison of Standards which illustrates that ISO 45001 can be integrated very well in already existing management systems.
- The requirements of ISO 45001:2018 are consistent with the European occupational health and safety legislation.
- ISO 45001 is strongly based on a preventive approach and therefore is an ideal tool for safety experts in the „systematic” implementation of strategic and operational OH&S in the company.
- ISO 45001 has adopted the PDCA (Plan – Do – Check – Act) concept with strong focus on operation, so that – from strategic planning to operational implementation – a framework is ensured, which additionally helps an organization to meet its compliance obligations (legal requirements).
- If ISO 45001 is well integrated into strategic and operational business practice, it can also help to prevent accusations of organizational negligence.
- ISO 45001 has adopted a holistic approach and thus forms a systematic foundation for all associated occupational health and safety activities within a company.
Because of its high international acceptance and good operational applicability, ISO 45001 is on its way to become a Family of Standards.
- ISO 45001:2018
Standard containing requirements for occupational health and safety; organizations can obtain accredited certification. - ISO 45002:202x (under development)
General guidelines for the implementation of ISO 45001:2018 in organizations. This Standard will specifically address organizations located in countries with weak occupational health and safety regulations. - ISO 45003:202x (under development; current status: FDIS)
This standard gives practical guidance on managing psychological health and safety at work. - ISO 45004:202x (under development)
This guideline is in the early stages of development. It is intended to assist in finding key figures and indicators for occupational health and safety management. - ISO PAS 45005:2020 (PAS = Publicly Available Specification)
ISO PAS 45005 is a guideline and not a requirement standard
Attention: The guidance is generic and should be viewed critically in countries with a strong legal framework / legal requirements, as these weight more.
ISO has provided ISO 45005 free of charge to support global efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic here. - ISO 45006:202x (under development, currently in the proposal procedure)
ISO 45006 provides a set of general guidelines for managing the associated risks of infectious diseases that could occur at workplaces.
Overview of the ISO 45001 Family of Standards
Authors
Network partner
Mr. Erich Birgmayer, MSc
Network partner, Product Expert Asset Management and Trainings Safety Management
