This March, the International Organization for Standardization released the new ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems standard. This standard, based on OHSAS 18001, aims to ease the constraints for organizations by establishing a framework for:
- improving the safety of workers;
- reducing risks in the workplace and,
- creating better and safer working conditions.
The text, written by a committee of international experts in occupational health and safety, follows the common structure of other management system standards (such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). It also takes into account other international standards in this area, such as the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) ILO-OSH guidelines, various national and international labor standards and the ILO’s international labor standards and conventions.
Companies will have a period of three years from the publication of this standard to transition their occupational health and safety management system to the requirements of the occupational health and safety management system. Note that certifications according to OHSAS 18001 will not be renewed.