The Organization for Standardization (ISO) has announced the release date for the global occupational safety and health management standard it’s been working on for five years.

ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements, will be available starting March 12, 2018.

The global death toll from work-related accidents or diseases is 600 people die each day, or more than 2.78 million a year. The burden of occupational injuries and diseases is significant, both for employers and the wider economy, resulting in losses from early retirements, staff absence and rising insurance premiums.

ISO 45001 is intended to help organizations reduce this burden by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions, in a variety of workplaces all over the world.

The standard was developed by a committee of occupational health and safety experts, and follows other generic management system approaches such as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. It takes into account other International Standards in this area such as OHSAS 18001, the International Labour Organization's ILO-OSH Guidelines, various national standards and the ILO's international labour standards and conventions.

Also, a new standard "ISO 17021:10, OH&S Competence Requirements for Certification Personnel", has been approved and will be published sometime after March 12. 

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