ISO 45001:2018
and the benefits of the standard

In March 2018, the international occupational health and safety standard ISO 45001:2018 was approved. Over a 3-year period, ISO 45001:2018 replaced the occupational health and safety standard OHSAS 18001.

ISO 45001:2018 is fully compatible with the quality standard ISO 9001, the environmental standard ISO 14001 and the food standard ISO 22001. The upgrade to ISO 45001 also includes a number of new requirements and opportunities that must be translated into value in your company. Regardless of your needs to ensure a good process, the implementation and the effect of your ISO 45001 certification, Bureau Veritas is ready to help you. 

The benefits of ISO 45001:2018

ISO 45001 is aligned with other international standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001, making it easy to integrate all management systems. The occupational health and safety standard has the same HLS (High-Level-Structure) as other ISO standards, which ensures, among other things, common terminology.

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The 3 most important HLS concepts in ISO 45001

The 3 key HLS concepts in ISO 45001 are:

  • A risk-based mindset - A proactive approach that helps organizations identify threats AND opportunities.
  • Leadership - Top management must demonstrate a clear dedication to focus on the health and safety area AND be accountable.
  • Planning - Companies must identify risks and opportunities within the health and safety area AND risks and opportunities that impact operations.

stakeholders are increasingly important

  • Broader perspective - Employees inside and outside the company, managers, clients, visitors
  • More advice - Employees must participate in and be guided in the management system.
  • Increased skills - Companies must ensure that employees are able to identify hazards and take action within the occupational health and safety area so that they can act when necessary.

Risks - a broader definition

  • Traditional occupational health and safety risks - Heavy lifting, electricity, working at heights, etc.
  • Physical risks in the office - Repetitive work, back pain, etc.
  • Mental risks - Burnout, harassment, bullying, etc.

the 3 biggest challenges

  • Control - ISO 45001 also includes visitors and employees working outside the company. 
  • Communication - It is the company's responsibility to ensure that all employees are aware of the management system and the risks and hazards it describes. 
  • Operational - In ISO 45001, hazards must be eliminated in order to control risks. This may mean changing processes or equipment.

5 steps

Overall, the transition to ISO 45001:2018 consists of 5 steps which are:

  1. Train your key employees
  2. Adjust processes to comply with legislation
  3. Integrate parts of other management systems and update documentation
  4. Monitor the new processes and create and analyze the KPIs
  5. Certification according to ISO 45001
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training In ISO 45001

Find relevant ISO 45001 training for implementing and maintaining an ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system.