Promoting workplace health and safety through ISO 45001 Certification

Are you eager to equip your company with the ability to recognize, minimize, and ideally avoid risks to employees in the form of accidents and health issues? The appropriate foundation lies in a certified management system in accordance with the ISO 45001 standard. This international standard elevates and strengthens workplace health and safety to the status of a strategically vital management issue.

What is ISO 45001? 

ISO 45001 is an internationally recognized standard for implementing an effective occupational health and safety (OHS) management system. The standard assists businesses in identifying work-related risks to employees, such as health issues, accidents, and injuries, and in preventing these through the use of preventive measures. Companies can become certified according to ISO 45001. The aim of the occupational health and safety standard is to establish transparent and effective processes leading to a high level of safety concerning health and safety at work. Key areas include workplace policy, consultation and participation of workers, hazard identification and risk assessment, and risk management. Additionally, the focus is on legal matters concerning health and safety in the workplace. ISO 45001:2018 was published as a successor to the British standard BS OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety) on March 12, 2018. BS OHSAS 18001 was replaced by ISO 45001 at the end of September 2021. Certificates according to the old standard have therefore lost their validity.

Who is ISO 45001 certification suitable for? 

The ISO 45001 standard can be used by companies and organizations of all sizes and industries. Thus, even small organizations, public authorities, or municipal administrations can benefit from the standard. Workplace health and safety concern every individual employee in the company. By meeting the requirements of ISO 45001, companies or organizations ensure reliable workplace safety. An occupational health and safety management system according to ISO 45001 follows the basic structure of other important management system standards, the so-called High-Level Structure (HLS). This makes ISO 45001 compatible with, for example, ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment) and therefore well-suited as part of an integrated management system.

Why is ISO 45001 certification meaningful? 

Some countries already have very strict laws regarding health and safety in the workplace. Certification according to ISO 45001:2018 helps your company or organization incorporate legal requirements into its internal processes. This results in many benefits

Detection of deficiencies in occupational health and safety An occupational health and safety management system (OHS) according to ISO 45001 helps you gradually and effectively detect and eliminate deficiencies in the existing system. Certification thereby contributes to preventing workplace accidents or safety incidents. 

Strengthening employees’ health and motivation 

Thanks to a structured occupational health and safety management system, the company’s health can be significantly improved. Physical and mental stress decrease, leading to higher motivation and lower absenteeism.

Greater legal certainty 

The big issue of compliance also affects health and safety. By obtaining ISO 45001 certification, companies strengthen their legal certainty. They combine workplace health and safety with compliance, thereby reducing the risks of liability for damages and the risk of high consequential costs. 

Competitive advantages 

Companies certified according to ISO 45001 are attractive to employees. This is because these companies not only demonstrate that workplace health and safety are important to them. With certification, they also guarantee that important standards and requirements are met. Especially in times of a significant shortage of qualified labor, ISO 45001 certification is your important plus as an employer in the competition for qualified labor. 

Cost savings and increased productivity 

Structured health management significantly reduces absenteeism. In this way, companies not only save money but also achieve a consistently high level of productivity with fewer disruptions to operations. 

Increased safety awareness among the workforce 

ISO 45001 certification increases employees’ awareness of health and safety issues. The standard requires all employees to be actively involved in their respective work environments. They themselves become multipliers for achieving workplace safety in a sustainable manner. 

Integration into an existing management system

 ISO 45001 is based on the basic structure of all modern management systems, the High-Level Structure. This means that occupational health and safety work can be integrated into an existing management system, such as a system according to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001.