Scope
ISO 45001 is an international standard that defines the requirements for an occupational health and safety (OHS) management system. The standard gives guidance to any organization to improve its performance in preventing work-related injuries and illnesses caused.

ISO 45001 is applicable to any organization that wonts to establish, implement and maintain occupational health and safety management system to improve health and safety at work, to eliminate hazards and minimize risks (by improving the management system, take advantage of OHS opportunities and eliminate OHS inconsistencies associated with its activities. The requirements of the standard can be integrated into the management system of the organization.

The standard is applicable to any organization, regardless of its size, type and activities. It is applicable to the OHS risks under organization control, taking into account factors such as the context in which the organization, needs and expectations and other stakeholders. ISO 45001 enables to any organization to integrate, through its occupational health and safety management system, aspects of health and safety, such as employees well-being.

ISO 45001 does not define specific criteria for occupational safety and does not give prescriptions for the concept of the occupational health and safety management system. The organization's management system must be specific to the context of the organization in order to meet its own needs to prevent injuries and illnesses to employees.

ISO 45001 does not address issues such as product safety, property damage or environmental impacts, beyond the risks to workers and other relevant interested parties.

ISO 45001 is not a legally binding document, but a management tool that organizations can use if they wish to eliminate or minimize hazardous risks to the occupational health and safety of their employees.

The OHS management system, based on ISO 45001, helps to improve the working environment by:

• development and implementation of occupational health and safety policies and objectives;
• creating systematic processes that take into account the context, risks and opportunities for the organization, as well as legal requirements;
• identifying the occupational health and safety hazards and risks associated with the organisation in order to eliminate them or minimize their potential consequences;
• establishment of operational control for management of occupational health and safety risk, as well as those related to legal and other requirements;
• raising employee's awareness of management health and safety risks;
• assessing the implementation of OHS requirements and looking for appropriate measures to improve the system;
• ensuring an active role of employees in solving problems related to health and safety at work.

• continuous improvement of the performance of the organisation;
• fulfilment of legal and other requirements;
• achieving the goals of OHS.

• better ability to respond to legal compliance;
• reducing the overall cost of accidents at work;
• reducing the costs of production interruptions;
• reduction of costs for insurance premiums;
• reduction of staff absences and turnover.

ISO 45001 follows the structure adopted in other ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Other international standards, national standards have also been taken into account in developing the standard, and International Labour Standards and Conventions.

Implementation of ISO 45001 is easy, especially for those organizations that already have an occupational health and safety management system. It is easy to harmonize and integrate ISO 45001 requirements with other ISO management standards.

How to implement ISO 45001?
 

ISO 45001: 2018 (BDS ISO 45001: 2018) Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use