Publication of the standard for occupational health and safety management systems is expected for March 2018!

After the first draft standard of ISO 45001 was rejected, the second draft version has now gained the required majority in the international standard commission. Thus, the path to a worldwide international standard in the area of occupational health and safety is now clear! The publication of the English version of ISO 45001 is expected in March 2018.

Companies that currently aim for an initial certification in the area of occupational health and safety should start to gear themselves towards the ISO 45001 to avoid subsequent conversion outlay.

For companies that have already implemented the OHSAS 18001 standard, the question arises in what timeframe the new ISO 45001 needs to be changed to. Currently, it is assumed that there will be a three-year transition period after publication of the ISO 45001.

Just as with the standards for environmental and quality management (ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 9001:2015), the ISO 45001 is also arranged in accordance with the „high-level structure”. This gives, in particular, companies with an existing certification in accordance with ISO 14001 or ISO 9001 the opportunity to set up an integrated management system.

Important relevant innovations include:

• Contextual analysis: the strategic importance of occupational health and safety for the company must be given more attention in the future.
• Development of the risk-based approach: as with risk assessment, risks and opportunities must be taken into consideration in setting up the management system.
• Management: top management must assume a leading role in occupational health and safety and demonstrate that they are actively involved in occupational health and safety (accountability).
• Outsourced processes: definition and evaluation of outsourced processes and integration into the occupational health and safety management system

For the additional content of the ISO 45001 standard, we will inform you after publication of the standard and also offer free webinars.

Arqum is currently supporting several companies which are launching a management system based on the draft of the ISO 45001. In this context, we can offer the following services in connection with occupational health and safety:

• Training courses on the new ISO 45001.
• Conducting a GAP analysis to determine what is needed for a certification in accordance with ISO 45001.
• Consultation session for the introduction or transition to the standard.
• Conducting compliance checks and creation of a legal register.
• Conducting internal audits.
• Provision of an external management officer or external work safety specialists

Your contact at Arqum: Ute Kessler