Proactive vs Reactive: The Key Differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001

Some of the changes in ISO 45001 vs. OHSAS 18001are induced by the common HLS and some are specific to occupational health and safety. As ISO 45001 is now released, OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn. ... ISO 45001 is an international standard, ensuring enhanced compatibility with other standards, such as ISO 9001 and 14001.

What is ISO 45001? ISO 45001 is an International Standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, with guidance for its use, to enable an organisation to proactively improve its OH&S performance in preventing injury and ill-health.

ISO 45001, which sets requirements for occupational health and safety management systems, has now reached Committee Draft stage. This draft standard, inspired by the well-known OHSAS 18001, is designed to help companies and organizations around the world ensure the health and safety of the people who work for them.Jul 18, 2014

ISO 45001 aims to help organizations do just that. ... ISO 45001 is the new ISOstandard for occupational health and safety (OH&S). It has become one of the most eagerly awaited standards in the world, and is set to drastically improve levels of workplace safety.

The release of the ISO 45001 Standard is arguably the most significant event for EHS managers in a generation. This new standard, which will replace OHSAS 18001, follows the approach of other management systems such as ISO 14001 and ISO 90001 and has an increased emphasis on management commitment, worker involvement, and risk control.

Adoption of the standard over the next three years will, no doubt, lead to many questions as organizations evaluate their current health and safety processes. Understanding the key differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001 is an important first step. Below is an overview of ISO 45001 and a list of the key similarities and differences in the two standards.

What is ISO 45001?

• ISO 45001 was published on March 12,2018and is the new international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management
• ISO 45001 specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system and gives guidance for its use to enable organizations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities and by proactively improving OH&S performance
• ISO 45001 is applicable to any organization worldwide regardless of its size, type, or nature
• ISO 45001 replaces OHSAS 18001, the world’s former reference for OH&S management (organizations currently certified under OHSAS 18001 will have until March 12,2021to migrate to ISO 45001)

How is ISO 45001 similar to OHSAS 18001?

• Intent: The overall intent to create a framework for managing the prevention of employee injuries, illnesses, and fatalities is the same for both standards
• Plan-Do-Check-Act: The PDCA cycle remains the fundamental operating principle in both standards
• Other Similarities: Many of the requirements covered in OHSAS 18001, although consolidated, relocated, or expanded on, are found in ISO 45001, including policy requirements; identification of legal and other requirements; improvement objectives; awareness requirements; competency requirements; resources needed to support the system; and requirements for monitoring, measuring, and analyzing OH&S performance and improvement

What are some of the main differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001?

• Structure: The structure of ISO 45001 is based on Annex SL, which is the framework used in other ISO management system standards, making implementation easier and more efficient
• Management Commitment: ISO 45001 requires the incorporation of health and safety into the overall management system of the organization, requiring management to take a stronger leadership role in OH&S
• Worker Involvement: ISO 45001 requires employee training and education to identify risks and help create a successful safety program, allowing broader employee participation
• Risk v. Hazard: ISO 45001 follows a preventative process, requiring hazard risks to be evaluated and remedied before they cause accidents and injuries, unlike OHSAS 18001, which focused only on hazard control