What are the 10 clauses of ISO 45001?

ISO 45001:2018 is the most recent version of the international standard in Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Its purpose is to help organisations of different sizes to reduce work-related injuries and diseases.

Unlike the older version, this new standard provides many changes, including detailed risk planning and assessment. Below is a comprehensive guide explaining the 10 clauses of ISO 45001 to help you understand how it works.

ISO 45001 Clauses Explained

Clause 1 – Scope

The scope carries introductory information about ISO 45001 as a standard for an OHSMS model that:

• Meets the necessary regulatory requirements.
• Acknowledges that the need for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System is dependent on the continual improvement and accomplishment of objectives.
• Can be deployed to virtually any type and size of an organisation.

Clause 2 & Clause 3 – Terms and definitions

These two clauses are designed as summaries to understand the ISO 45001 requirements and simply note that there are no normative references. Clause 3 features a list of terms and definitions that apply to the ISO 45001 standard clauses.

Clause 4 – Context of the organisation

This clause requires organisations to assess the context of the organisation in terms of Occupational Health and Safety operations and document the needs and expectations of interested parties. Generally, this is categorised into two: internal and external issues.

External issues include your organisation’s union expectations, political and economic conditions, as well as relevant legal requirements and regulations. On the other hand, internal issues include your company’s communication methodologies and the commitment of your team to cooperate and adhere to the existing policies.

Clause 5 – Leadership

Clause 5 is designed for employees and managers alike. It asks that top management demonstrate leadership and dedication regarding the OH&S management system. It also requires top managers to implement, monitor, and maintain an OH&S policy that’s unique to your organisation and make sure the administrative authorities, roles, and responsibilities are clearly understood.

Clause 6 – Planning

This clause involves establishing the objectives of your Health and Safety Management Systems and how you can attain them. The obvious reason is to mitigate the risk of workplace accidents and common health issues.

Clause 7 – Support

In this clause, your organisation needs to provide support elements required to implement, manage, and continually improve the Occupational Health and Safety Management System. This support system may include resources, methods of communication, staff awareness, and the need for documented information.

Clause 8 – Operation

Clause 8 covers the operation controls organisations must look into, including management of change, emergency response, elimination of hazards, and change in procurement. You can implement your operational processes by developing criteria for operation control.

Clause 9 – Performance evaluation

Performance evaluation covers systems for monitoring and assessment of compliance with internal audits, legal requirements, and management review to ensure the system’s overall effectiveness.

Clause 10 – Improvement

Clause 10 outlines how your organisation should manage the OH&S system nonconformities, incidents, and corrective actions to ensure continual improvement.