Occupational health and safety standard

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published its standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) on 12 March 2018.

‘ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use’ is intended to provide a robust and effective set of processes for improving work safety in global supply chains. Designed to help organisations of all sizes and industries, the new international standard is expected to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses around the world.

According to 2017 calculations by the International Labour Organization (ILO), 2.78 million fatal accidents occur at work yearly. This means that, every day, almost 7,700 persons die of work-related diseases or injuries. Additionally, there are some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses each year, many of these resulting in extended absences from work. This paints a sobering picture of the modern workplace, one where workers can suffer serious consequences as a result of simply doing their jobs.

It is hoped that ISO 45001 will change that. It provides governmental agencies, industry and other affected stakeholders with effective, usable guidance for improving worker safety in countries around the world. By means of an easy-to-use framework, it can be applied to both captive and partner factories and production facilities, regardless of their location.

ISO 45001 will replace OHSAS 18001, the world’s former reference for workplace health and safety. Organisations already certified to OHSAS 18001 will have three years to comply with the new ISO 45001 standard, although certification of conformity to ISO 45001 is not a requirement of the standard.

Source: ISO News Release, 12 March 2018