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In 2018, after five years of development, the ISO 45001 standard was published. It is structured according to the 10 chapters mandated by the HLS structure.
ISO 45001 Standard: Scope
The expected outcomes of an OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) management system are specified: to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injuries and ill health.
Furthermore, the ISO 45001 standard now allows an organization to integrate other health and safety aspects, such as well-being and quality of life at work, into its OHS management system.
Normative references
This chapter, required by the HLS structure of ISO standards, lists no references for this ISO 45001 standard.
Terms and definitions
The definition of the key term "worker" is provided: "person performing work or work-related activities that are under the control of the organization." It is clarified through three notes* that "work or work-related activities performed under the control of the organization may be performed by workers employed by the organization, workers of external providers, contractors, individuals, agency workers, etc."
The definition of "workplace" has been rewritten: "place under the control of the organization where a person needs to be or to go for work purposes."
Context of the organization
Chapter 4 introduces new requirements for the organization to identify its context (economic, social, political, technological, legal, etc.), as well as the relevant needs and expectations of its workers and other interested parties, in order to determine which of these could become legal or other requirements.
Leadership and worker participation
Leadership and management commitment to the management system are strengthened; management must demonstrate this by:
- Taking full responsibility and accountability for the prevention of work-related injury and ill health, as well as the provision of safe and healthy workplaces,
- Developing, leading, and promoting a culture within the organization that supports the intended outcomes of the OH&S management system,
- Protecting workers from reprisals when reporting incidents, hazards, risks, and opportunities,
- Ensuring that the organization establishes and implements a process for consultation and participation of workers,
- Supporting the establishment and operation of health and safety committees.
Requirement 5.4 is dedicated to the consultation and participation of workers, which also becomes a commitment of the OH&S policy. The focus is on the consultation and participation of all workers:
- Consultation on determining the needs and expectations of interested parties, and determining what needs to be monitored, measured, and evaluated...
- Participation in determining competence requirements, training needs, training itself, and training evaluation, as well as choosing what to communicate and how to do so...
To this end, the organization must provide the necessary mechanisms, time, training, and resources. It must also provide timely access to clear, understandable, and relevant information regarding the OH&S management system.
Planning
Chapter 6 covers the provisions for actions to address risks and opportunities, the identification of hazards and the assessment of risks and opportunities, the determination of legal and other requirements, and OH&S objectives and the planning of actions to achieve them. For this planning phase, and particularly for defining OH&S objectives, ISO 45001:2018 requires the organization to:
- take greater account of its overall issues and the expectations of its workers and other interested parties,
- determine the "risks and opportunities " that may arise from its hazards, its OH&S risks, as well as legal and other requirements.
This approach helps to better integrate OHS policy and objectives into the company's overall strategy.
Support
Chapter 7 covers the requirements for providing the resources necessary for the management system to function, as well as worker competence, awareness, communication, and documented information. Workers must now also be made aware of their right to remove themselves from work situations they believe present a serious and imminent danger to their life or health, and of the provisions protecting them from undue consequences for doing so.
Regarding communication, the organization must establish a process to determine what information is relevant to communicate, while taking into account its legal and other requirements.
Operational planning and control
Chapter 8 contains provisions for operational control and emergency preparedness and response. Detailed requirements are set out for:
- Workplaces with multiple employers, for which the organization must coordinate the relevant parts of the OHS management system with other organizations,
- Eliminating hazards and reducing OHS risks: to do this, the organization must use the hierarchy of controls mandated by the Labor Code, starting with eliminating the hazard and ending with the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). A note specifies that in many countries, legal requirements include the free provision of PPE. It should be noted that the hierarchy of controls is provided for in requirement 4.3.1 of OHSAS 18001 for determining control measures,
- Management of change, which is the subject of requirement 8.1.3: the organization must establish processes to control changes that impact OHS performance, such as new products, changes in staffing or working conditions, and new knowledge about OHS hazards and risks...
Performance evaluation with ISO 45001
Chapter 9 contains requirements regarding monitoring, measurement, analysis and performance evaluation, compliance evaluation, internal audits, and management reviews.
Regarding monitoring and measurement obligations, it is up to the organization to determine what needs to be monitored and measured, including the effectiveness and efficiency of operational and other preventive measures. Regarding compliance evaluation, ISO 45001:2018 requires the organization to maintain knowledge and understanding of its compliance with legal and other requirements.
ISO 45001 Standard: Improvement
Chapter 10 brings together the requirements concerning incidents, nonconformities, corrective actions, andcontinual improvementPreventive actions have now been replaced by a risk-based approach.