ATP update: ISO 45001

What we know so far

ISO 45001 is distinctively different from BS/EN 18001. It is being developed to:

• Help organizations minimize the risk of harm to all those working under their control (defined as “workers” within the standard)
• Provide a platform for continual improvement in occupational health and safety performance
• Help organizations integrate OH&S into their overall business management system

The standard also adopts Annex SL. This means the structure of the standard, the terms and definitions, and much of the core text will already be familiar to those who know existing Annex SL-based standards, like ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 27001:2013.

The standard will put emphasis on:

• top management accountability and the need to demonstrate leadership
• worker participation in the identification of risk, and the development and operation of the OH&S management system
• the need for the organization to prevent ill-health (including psychological ill-health), as well as injuries
• the need for organizations to recognise causes of ill-health and injuries

There will also be new requirements pertaining to the hierarchy of controls, management of change, outsourcing, procurement, and contractors.

Organisations certified to BS OHSAS 18001 will need to transition to ISO 45001 within three years of the new standard being published, QHSE professionals will need to be prepared to manage this transition, and auditors must be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skill to effectively audit against the new requirements.

Indicative timelines

The ballot on the current draft international standard (DIS2) closes on 13 July 2017. Following this there are three possible outcomes:

1. In the event of few comments being received, the ISO standard is likely to be published in November 2017.
2. If many comments have been received, DIS2 is likely to proceed to Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) in November 2017, with the ISO standard published March 2018
3. If the ballot results in the DIS2 being rejected altogether, 45001 may be published as a technical specification (TS) and not an ISO standard.

New course criteria

The CQI will produce transition and core training criteria for occupational health and safety courses once FDIS or ISO 45001 is published, whichever is earliest. We will issue more information nearer the release date.

Pleae note, it is the CQI’s policy not to produce training course criteria based on Draft International Standards (DIS). It  will not support or recognise training courses based on DIS as being acceptable for IRCA Auditor transition.