ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems - Requirements with guidance for use is a standard that defines the requirements for a health and safety management system in the workplace. The aim of the standard is to establish control over risks that pose harm and danger (translating as much as possible from uncontrolled hazards into controlled risks, thereby providing better protection for employees) and thereby ensuring the continuity of the organization's operations.

It is part of a series of standards dealing with the management and protection of health and safety in the workplace. The former OHSAS - Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (or OHSAS 18001), translates as: occupational health and safety management system, although the term occupational health and safety is also present. The standard also incorporates the abbreviation OH&S, which indicates the affiliation of elements of the management system to the area of health and safety at work, such as policy, objectives, programs, etc.

ISO 45001 is applicable to all organizations. An organization that implements this standard can be certified by a certification body, and based on a positive assessment, the organization receives a certificate of compliance with the standard requirements. This standard is compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, making it easy to integrate with them, and by integrating these three standards, an organization can develop its Integrated Management System (IMS).

The goal of the occupational health and safety management system is to translate uncontrolled hazards into controlled risks to a greater extent and thereby better protect employees, as well as to ensure uninterrupted operation. Key areas covered by certification include:

• Workplace management systems
• Risk planning and assessment
• Employee training and awareness
• Communication of the safety management system
• Response to emergencies
• Monitoring and continual improvement

Advantages of implementing ISO 45001 standard:

• Minimizing workplace injuries
• Provides protection against potential injuries, both to employees and visitors
• Contributes to the company's readiness to timely eliminate hazards
• Aligns the company's work processes with legal requirements
• Improves the overall image of the company and makes it attractive for collaboration and investment
• Instills confidence in customers that there is a commitment to managing occupational health and safety that can be demonstrated
• Opens up new market opportunities for collaboration with large foreign companies whose primary goal is occupational health and safety

The basis of this system is the safety of employees in the workplace, achieved through the following steps:

• Identification and assessment of hazards in accordance with legal requirements
• Determination of policy objectives for health and safety at work
• Identification of workplace hazards
• Planning, development, and implementation of employee health protection systems
• Internal audit of the health and safety management system in the workplace
• Certification

 

For more detailed information, visit the official ISO 45001 standard page.