The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released a new standard, ISO 45001, on March 12, 2018. ISO 45001 replaces OHSAS 18001 as the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems, and is designed to enhance the safety culture within an organization as well as drive focus on safety from the top down.
The new standard:
- Introduces leadership and management commitment to the occupational health and safety management system.
- Operates on the Plan-Do-Check-Act model.
- Considers risk management to be a key component of a robust occupational health and safety management system.
- Focuses on the business context of occupational health and safety management.
- Takes external and internal stakeholders into consideration.
ISO has set a deadline of March 2021 for organizations that are currently OHSAS 18001 certified to migrate to the new ISO 45001 standard. The occupational health and safety management system is a helpful tool for organizations to incorporate a culture of safety and promote collaboration amongst other management systems. Additional information regarding the new standard and action required are addressed on the ISO website.