ISO 45001 specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system and guides its implementation. The goal is to help organizations create safe and healthy workplaces, to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses while actively improving their OH&S performance.
ISO 45001 applies to any organization that wishes to establish, implement, and maintain an OH&S management system to:
— improve occupational health and safety,
— eliminate hazards and minimize OH&S risks (including system deficiencies),
— take advantage of OH&S opportunities,
— and address OH&S management system nonconformities associated with its activities.
ISO 45001 applies to any organization regardless of its size, type and activities. It applies to the OH&S risks under the organization’s control, considering factors such as the context in which the organization operates and the needs and expectations of its workers and other interested parties. An overview is given in the handbook of ISO 45001 and another handbook gives guidance for implementation.
ISO 45001 does not state specific criteria for OH&S performance, nor is it prescriptive about the design of an OH&S management system. It enables an organization, through its OH&S management system, to integrate other aspects of health and safety, such as worker wellness/wellbeing. ISO 45001 does not address issues such as product safety, property damage or environmental impacts, beyond the risks to workers and other relevant interested parties.
The text of ISO 45001:2018 has been approved in Europe as EN ISO 45001:2023 without any changes.
