ISO 45001: A brief history

ISO 45001 is an international standard that provides a framework for occupational health and safety management systems. Understanding its history helps to contextualize its significance and evolution. Let’s delve into a brief summary of the history of ISO 45001 to appreciate its development and relevance in ensuring workplace safety and well-being. Let’s explore ISO 45001: A brief history together with GIAYCHUNGNHAN!

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1. What Is ISO 45001 Certification?

ISO 45001 is an occupational health and safety management system, providing criteria and frameworks to improve occupational safety, reduce workplace risks and create safer working conditions. The standard helps the organization provide a safe and healthy working environment for workers and others, avoiding death, related work accidents and illness from the work environment.

2. ISO 45001: A brief history

According to the 2017 calculation of the International Labor Organization (ILO), up to 2.78 million fatal accidents occur at work every year. This means that, every day, nearly 7,700 people die from work-related illnesses or injuries. In addition, about 374 million people are injured and sick every year despite not dying, many of which lead to prolonged leave. ‘This makes the picture of the modern workplace clearer – where workers can suffer serious consequences without simply ”doing their job”.’ ISO 45001 is expected to change this. It provides government agencies, industry and other influential stakeholders with effective and usable guidance to improve occupational safety in countries around the world. To protect occupational health and safety is expanding and becoming important for all companies/businesses.

Previously, the basis for forming an occupational health- safety management system was the British standard OHSAS 18001 and the guiding principles for the implementation of OHSAS 18002. To develop international health – occupational safety standards, the new standard ISO 45001 has been developed by the ISO/PC 283 working group since 2013. The draft of the ISO 45001 International Standard was issued in February 2016 but was not adopted. The secret ballot for the second draft version of the ISO 45001 Standard then received a majority of 34 votes in favor of the regulations. The publication of international standards for occupational health and safety management has been guaranteed. The standard was officially announced on March 12, 2018.

For more information on What are the Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification?, please check out this article!

3. Major changes in ISO 45001

To update the management system according to the latest standards, businesses need to be aware of the most important changes compared to OHSAS 18001 standard. What is the new content? What are the new points for businesses? We have summarized the most important details through the table below. For more information, please contact our experts:

CHAPTER	Topic	CHANGE
Scope	Scope	Minimize risks while creating conditions to improve occupational health & safety protection Consider the business context with the expectations of employees and stakeholders Includes security programs for staff
References and publications	Reference standards	There is no reference norm
Terms	Terms	New definitions and changes from the current one
Business context	Context Relevant parties	New regulatory requirements and greater focus for staff and stakeholders
Management	Management	Focus more on work processes Additional section on staff participation process (5.4)
Planning	Risks/opportunists Planning for change	Higher focus and risk recognition
Supports	Information and Contact information	Improve regulatory requirements for the topic of ‘awareness’ Add ‘contact information with external parties’ and adjust ‘profiled information’ activities
Operation	Operation Outsourced processes	Expand the focus and new regulatory requirements
Effective evaluation	Indicators of performance Evaluation of management	New performance efficiency and risk regulation requirements and expanded focus points
Improvement	Non-compliance cases Remedies Improvement	Expand the content that describes the process to manage situations Clear descriptions of precautions are no longer needed Expand processes for continuous improvement

4. Objectives of ISO 45001

Improving occupational health & safety protection is at the heart of the transition to ISO 45001, thereby pursuing the following objectives:

Provide and perfect a safe and healthy working environment for employees and other specialized individuals
Somiling for a occupational health & safety management system for employees and other stakeholders
Continuously improve organizations through the PDCA model
Overall cover of occupational health & safety risks
More effective and successful occupational health and safety management
Occupational health & safety management is a strategic factor and responsibility of the business
Motive employees through participation activities and information feedback
Facilitate the preparation of corporate ethics: safe and reliable to show to customers, suppliers, relevant agencies and investors in the form of certification according to standards

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