The first thing to say about ISO 45001 is that it isn’t a new standard. It replaces another standard, OHSAS 18001, published over twenty years ago. So what’s changed? Well, the main difference is that there has been an update to reflect modern working environments and trends in safety management—specifically:
What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 2018 is a management system standard for occupational health and safety (OHS). It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and published in 2016.
The primary purpose of ISO 45001 is to help organisations manage their OHSMS. The standard can be applied to all organisations, small or large businesses or governmental agencies.
Who should consider ISO 45001?
The ISO 45001 standard can be a good fit for organisations of any size that are looking to improve their occupational health and safety management systems. The standard is intended to be used by all organisations, from manufacturing facilities to government agencies and everything in between.
The ISO 45001 2018 standard is also an international management system standard for occupational health and safety, which means that many countries worldwide have adopted it. If your organisation operates internationally or does business with organisations in other countries, consider adopting this new global standard.
How should you implement ISO 45001?
As you can see, ISO 45001 2018 is a management system rather than a safety standard. This means it covers the entire management of your organisation, from the way you design products or services to how employees are motivated and trained. It also includes what happens when something goes wrong by requiring that organisations have procedures in place for risk assessment and risk management.
The scope of ISO 45001 is very broad—it applies to all types of organisations, including service providers (such as consultants), manufacturing companies, distribution/wholesale companies, government agencies, and hospitals and healthcare facilities.
How can you integrate OHSAS 18001 into ISO 45001?
You can incorporate ISO 45001 into your existing OHSAS 18001 framework. Many organisations prefer this approach as it allows them to maintain their existing roles and responsibilities with little disruption.
The benefits of this integration are:
- The same management system is used for both standards, which makes it easier to compare performance metrics and identify areas that require improvement
- The same reporting structure means you can use the same platform to report on both standards while still maintaining separate policies and procedures for each standard
- The same internal audit process allows you to assess all aspects of your organisation’s OHS management system using the same set of criteria across both standards – again making it easier for management teams and other stakeholders to understand how well an organisation is performing in relation to health and safety requirements
Why was OHSAS 18001 superseded by ISO 45001 in the first place?
OHSAS 18001 was superseded by ISO 45001 because it was not a complete standard. OHSAS 18001 is more of a framework for an organisation to follow than a standard in itself, which is why organisations must understand the difference between the two and how they will be affected when implementing either system.
ISO 45001 is more prescriptive and detailed than its predecessor. For example, while OHSAS 18001 outlines general requirements for implementing risk management processes across your organisation, ISO 45001 2018 includes specific requirements for each process within your organisation’s risk management system (RMS). This means that if you decide to implement ISO 45001 instead of OHSAS 18001, there will be more detailed expectations placed on you as an employer than ever before!
With the release of the new ISO 45001 standard, companies can meet their goals more efficiently. With this in mind, hopefully, you will take advantage of the new changes and make them work for your organisation.
