ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems

What is ISO 45001:2018?

ISO 45001:2018 is an international standard for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS). It provides a framework that organizations can use to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve their occupational health and safety management systems. The primary goal of ISO 45001 is to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for employees and others affected by an organization’s activities.

Key requirements of ISO 45001:2018 include:

1. Occupational Health and Safety Policy: Organizations must develop and maintain an OHS policy that outlines their commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace.
2. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment: Identifying and assessing occupational health and safety hazards and risks associated with the organization’s activities, products, and services.
3. Legal and Other Requirements: Identifying and keeping track of applicable laws and regulations related to occupational health and safety, as well as other requirements.
4. Objectives and Targets: Establishing specific OHS objectives and targets to improve safety performance.
5. Resources, Roles, Responsibility, and Authority: Ensuring that the necessary resources are allocated, roles and responsibilities are defined, and the appropriate authority is granted to support the OHSMS.
6. Competence, Training, and Awareness: Ensuring that employees are competent, aware of their OHS responsibilities, and adequately trained.
7. Consultation and Participation: Involving workers and other relevant stakeholders in OHS matters.
8. Communication: Establishing and maintaining internal and external communication processes relevant to OHS.
9. Documentation and Record Keeping: Creating and maintaining the necessary documentation, including procedures and records, to demonstrate compliance with the standard.
10. Operational Controls: Implementing controls to manage OHS risks and hazards during the organization’s activities.
11. Emergency Preparedness and Response: Developing and maintaining plans and procedures for responding to emergencies that could impact occupational health and safety.
12. Monitoring and Measurement: Regularly monitoring and measuring OHS performance against the established objectives and targets.
13. Incident Investigation and Nonconformity: Investigating incidents and nonconformities to identify their root causes and take corrective and preventive actions.
14. Continual Improvement: Continuously improving the OHSMS to enhance occupational health and safety.

Benefits of ISO 45001

1. Improve employee’s morale and safety.
2. Savings in cost for insurance premiums.
3. Reduced occupational health & safety risks.
4. Prevention of potential accidents and ill health.
5. Enhance reputation among regulators, customers and public.

Read more topics and content regarding ISO 45001:

• ISO 14001 & ISO 45001: Four-Step Action Plan for Environment, Safety and Health Management
• Health and Safety Legal Compliance for Manufacturer