The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has announced the completion of the committee draft stage of ISO 45001, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems—Requirements. The standard, which is available for purchase, gives stakeholders a chance to review it before its publication is finalized, which is slated for late 2016. ISO reports the draft standard is designed to help companies and organizations across the globe ensure the safety and health of workers. 

In an interview in Professional Safety, Vic Toy, CSP, CIH said that ISO 45001 will help drive standardization and integration of safety and health domestically and globally and will help ensure that an overarching framework is in place.

Not just a regulatory aim

Toy, who is chair of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to the ISO Project Committee 283, ISO 45001, said; “One reason for this is much like ISO 9000 (quality) and 14000 (environmental), there will be a market driver, not just a regulatory arm, to ensure safety and health. Companies will be able to ensure best practices and continuous improvements while the public will be able to participate in improving worker safety and health as the social conscience builds demand toward certification and/or conformance to ISO 45001.”

Toy said the ISO standard has been proposed three times in the past, without success.

“The reason it failed to gain steam was the belief that such a standard was unnecessary given that basic requirements for safety and health programs were in place.

Not just a program

“But this is where an important distinction is needed. This is not simply a program standard but a management system standard. Rather than a collection of programs, this standard, much like Z10, focuses on how programs and entities work together to maintain and improve worker safety and health.

“Competition for resources and globalization of products and services of late are driving the need for this standard. Whether we are referring to the impact of increased demand for efficiencies in domestic processes or goods and services produced internationally, we want to know that the same or better levels of protections for worker safety are in place.”

What ISO 45001 will do

ISO 45001 is likely to replace or at least integrate with current OHSMS standards such as OHSAS 18001 and ANSI ASSE Z10. It will serve as the framework by which all other requirements and voluntary standards will be covered and implemented.

Click here to read the complete interview with Toy in Professional Safety Standards Insider. Professional Safety is the Journal of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).

Toy will also present The Rise of ISO 45001, a New Global Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard on Friday, October 24 in Denver at Energize your Safety Management program. The seminar will cover the impending requirements of the 45001 and how it will affect individual organizations.

Click here for information on the seminar.