Understanding the History and Basics of ISO 45001

The history of ISO 45001 tells the story of how safety standards have evolved to create safer work environments worldwide. In 2022, preventable work-related deaths in the U.S. rose to 4,695, a 5% increase from the previous year, underscoring the urgent need for stronger safety systems—something ISO 45001 aims to address.

Born from a desire for a standardized framework, ISO 45001 has become the cornerstone for businesses aiming to protect their workforce while boosting productivity. But the journey to this widely recognized standard wasn't without its challenges. 

To truly understand the importance of ISO 45001, this blog will help you take a look back at its origins and the evolution from its predecessor, OHSAS 18001, and the history of ISO 45001.

History of Safety Standards: From OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001

ISO 45001, the globally recognized standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS), is designed to help organizations provide a safe and healthy working environment. Let’s explore the history of ISO 45001 and its development from previous safety standards.

Significance of OHSAS 18001

The history of ISO 45001 can be traced back to the British Standard OHSAS 18001, which was introduced in the late 1990s as a framework for managing workplace health and safety. OHSAS 18001 was widely adopted by companies looking to implement safety management systems. Still, it was not a formal ISO standard, and its global reach was limited. 

The following table provides a detailed comparison of OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001:

Transition and Integration

While OHSAS 18001 was widely used for occupational health and safety management, ISO 45001 introduced several improvements and refinements. The shift to ISO 45001 is not just about paperwork and compliance—it’s about embedding safety into the DNA of the organization. 

The standard promotes full organizational involvement, ensuring that safety isn’t solely the responsibility of a few but is shared across all levels of the company.

The transition from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 was designed to be as smooth as possible, with a transition period lasting until March 2021. This allowed companies ample time to adapt to the new framework. One of the key benefits of ISO 45001 is its compatibility with other ISO standards, making it easier to integrate with existing management systems.

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Development of ISO 45001

The development of ISO 45001 began in 2013 when the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recognized the need for a globally standardized framework for occupational health and safety management. 

The standard was created by ISO/PC 283 between 2013 and 2015, with contributions from health and safety experts, international organizations, and business representatives. These stakeholders, from over 70 countries, provided valuable insights, ensuring the framework reflected diverse global perspectives and met sector-specific safety needs.

The first draft of the standard, however, failed to gain approval. After further revisions and consultations, approval was finally achieved in March 2018, and ISO 45001 was officially published on March 12, 2018. The goal of ISO 45001 wasn’t just to improve safety but to help businesses build a proactive safety culture and enhance employee engagement in safety practices. 

The result was a modern, risk-based approach that emphasizes continuous improvement and organizational involvement—a comprehensive solution to managing health and safety risks worldwide.

Several established global frameworks heavily influenced the new standard, including:

• ANSI Z10: This standard, developed in the United States, had a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and worker engagement in safety. It influenced ISO 45001's focus on proactive safety management, with an emphasis on assessing risks before they become incidents.
• CSA Z1000: The Canadian framework CSA Z1000 contributed to ISO 45001’s focus on fostering a safety culture that goes beyond compliance to create a holistic approach to workplace health, including mental health and well-being.
• ILO Guidelines: The ILO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, has long promoted global labor standards. Its guidelines helped shape ISO 45001’s approach to international safety standards, ensuring that the new standard would meet global expectations for worker protection.

Ultimately, ISO 45001 was created to provide a globally acknowledged framework for occupational health and safety. Before its development, many organizations around the world were using different standards, such as OHSAS 18001, which lacked the global recognition that ISO standards offer. 

ISO 45001 fills this gap by offering a globally consistent approach that can be implemented by any organization, regardless of industry or location.

Now, let’s analyze ISO 45001 in detail.

An overview of ISO 45001

By offering a structured framework, ISO 45001 provides a way for businesses to identify and manage risks, prevent workplace injuries, and continuously improve safety practices. The newest ISO 45001 QMS focuses on 7 key elements they are: 

1. Context of the Organization - Understanding internal and external factors.
2. Leadership and Worker Participation - Management commitment and involvement.
3. Planning - Identifying hazards, risks, and opportunities.
4. Support - Resources and competence.
5. Operation - Risk controls and operational planning.
6. Performance Evaluation - Monitoring and reviewing performance.
7. Improvement - Continuous improvement processes.

The history of ISO 45001 reveals how the standard was developed to address fundamental challenges in workplace health and safety. The aims and objectives of ISO 45001 are designed to tackle these challenges head-on by promoting proactive safety management. 

• Eliminate hazards and prevent work-related incidents: Focuses on identifying and removing risks to reduce workplace accidents and injuries.
• Ensure provision of safe workplace environments: Strives to provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment for all employees.
• Promote continuous improvement in safety management: Encourages organizations to continuously assess, improve, and refine their health and safety management systems.
• An inclusive definition of 'workers': The term 'workers' in ISO 45001 is broadly defined to include employees, contractors, temporary workers, and third-party operations, ensuring that all individuals in the workplace are covered under the safety management system.
• Protect employee health and well-being: Addresses both physical and mental health, ensuring comprehensive protection for workers.
• Foster a proactive safety culture: Shifts focus from reactive responses to accidents to proactive risk management and hazard prevention.
• Leadership involvement: Leadership at all levels is actively involved in safety practices, making them accountable for fostering a culture of safety within the organization. 
• Ensure legal and regulatory compliance: Helps organizations meet local, regional, and international safety regulations and standards.
• Improve safety performance and reduce risks: Aims to minimize risks and continually enhance the safety and health of the workplace.
• Consideration of internal and external context: The standard takes into account both internal factors (organizational culture, policies) and external factors (legal, societal, and environmental influences) when managing health and safety.

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Achieving ISO 45001 certification also requires continuous improvement and effective compliance, both of which can be streamlined with BPRHub. Let’s explore how this can be achieved.

BPRHub for Easy Compliance With ISO 45001

The history of ISO 45001 shows that achieving compliance with occupational health and safety standards has been a challenge for many organizations. The complexity of integrating safety systems with existing management processes, tracking continuous improvement, and maintaining legal compliance can overwhelm businesses.

BPRHub provides a comprehensive package that enables manufacturers to achieve ISO 45001 certification with ease. It includes process-ready documents, real-time analytics, and the automation of complex compliance tasks, ensuring a seamless and efficient approach to managing occupational health and safety requirements. 

Additionally, the Audit Hub feature allows businesses to streamline their audit processes, improving efficiency and transparency. With BPRHub, organizations can easily maintain ISO 45001 compliance, foster employee engagement in safety practices, and continuously improve their health and safety management system.

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FAQ’s

1. What is the basic knowledge of ISO 45001?

Ans: ISO 45001 is a global standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management systems. It helps organizations create safe and healthy work environments by identifying risks, preventing accidents, and promoting employee well-being. It emphasizes proactive safety measures, continuous improvement, and employee involvement to enhance workplace safety culture.

2. How did ISO 45001 evolve from OHSAS 18001?

Ans: ISO 45001 emerged as a more globally standardized successor to OHSAS 18001, addressing its shortcomings. While OHSAS 18001 focuses on reactive safety measures, ISO 45001 emphasizes a proactive approach, continuous improvement, and broader integration with other ISO standards like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

3. How can BPRHub help with ISO 45001 compliance?

Ans: BPRHub streamlines the process of achieving and maintaining ISO 45001 certification by offering process-ready documents, real-time analytics, and automating compliance tasks. This helps organizations maintain continuous compliance while fostering a proactive safety culture.

4. Can ISO 45001 be integrated with other ISO standards?

Ans: Yes, one of the key benefits of ISO 45001 is its ability to integrate easily with other ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), enabling organizations to manage multiple systems under one framework.