What is the ISO?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the largest developer of voluntary International Standards, with a network of national standards bodies covering most countries in the world. International Standards help companies and organizations to increase performance while protecting consumers and our planet.
Some well-known standards include ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 50001 (energy efficiency) and ISO 26000 (social responsibility).
What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is the world’s first occupational health and safety international standard. It helps organisations provide a safe and healthy workplace for their workers and other people, prevent deaths, work-related injury and ill-health as well as continually improving OH&S performance. The implementation of an OH&S management system will be a strategic decision for an organization that can be used to support its sustainability.
What are the benefits of the new ISO 45001 standard?
The benefits of having this standard when you have an OHS management system in place is that it will enable organisations to improve overall OHS performance by:
- Developing and implementing an OH&S policy and OH&S objectives
- Establishing systematic processes which consider its “context” and which take into account its risks and opportunities, and its legal and other requirements
- Determining the hazards and OH&S risks associated with its activities; seeking to eliminate them, or putting in controls to minimize their potential effects
- Establishing operational controls to manage its OH&S risks and its legal and other requirements
- Increasing awareness of its OH&S risks
- Evaluating its OH&S performance and seeking to improve it, through taking appropriate actions
- Ensuring workers take an active role in OH&S matters
How will this affect you?
This standard is designed for all types of organisations to be able to benefit from it, regardless of whether you’re operating in a small-to-medium sized business or a global conglomerate.
The standard can be used by small low-risk operations equally as well as by high risk and large complex organizations. While the standard requires that OH&S risks are addressed and controlled, it also takes a risk-based approach to the OH&S management system itself, to ensure
a) that it is effective and
b) being improved to meet an organization’s ever-changing ‘context’
This risk-based approach is consistent with the way organizations manage their other ‘business’ risks and hence encourages the integration of the standard’s requirements into organizations’ overall management processes.
When will it be available?
ISO has confirmed a provisional publication date of 27 November for the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) of ISO 45001. Publication of the final standard is likely to be in the first half of 2018.
How can we become ISO compliant?
Speak to our team today about how we can assist you in becoming ISO compliant through our solutions and consulting.
Download your copy of the ISO 45001 Standard Briefing Notes, simply click here >
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