ISO 45001 – Short Notes

1. Introduction to ISO 45001

ISO 45001 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS). Published in 2018, it replaces OHSAS 18001. The purpose is to provide a structured framework to prevent workplace injuries, ill-health, and fatalities.

Key Objectives

• Create a safe and healthy workplace

• Prevent work-related injuries and ill health

• Continually improve OH&S performance

• Ensure legal compliance

• Promote worker participation

Why ISO 45001 is important

• Reduces accidents

• Minimizes downtime and losses

• Enhances compliance

• Increases employee morale and trust

• Improves organizational reputation

• Helps qualify for tenders and client pre-qualifications

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2. Structure of ISO 45001 (High-Level Structure – HLS)

ISO 45001 follows Annex SL structure with 10 clauses:

1. Scope

2. Normative References

3. Terms and Definitions

4. Context of the Organization

5. Leadership and Worker Participation

6. Planning

7. Support

8. Operation

9. Performance Evaluation

10. Improvement

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3. Clause-wise Short Notes

Clause 4 – Context of the Organization

4.1 Understanding the Organization and its Context

Identify internal and external issues that affect OH&S performance.

• Internal issues: workforce strength, technology, culture, processes.

• External issues: laws, clients, contractors, market conditions.

4.2 Understanding Needs and Expectations of Workers and Stakeholders

Stakeholders include:

• Employees

• Contractors

• Visitors

• Clients

• Regulators

• Community

4.3 Determining Scope of OHSMS

Scope should consider:

• Nature of work

• Locations

• Processes

• Legal requirements

4.4 OHSMS

The organization must establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve the OHSMS as per ISO 45001 requirements.

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Clause 5 – Leadership and Worker Participation

5.1 Leadership and Commitment

Top management must:

• Ensure OH&S policy and objectives

• Take accountability

• Provide adequate resources

• Integrate OH&S into business processes

• Promote continual improvement

5.2 OH&S Policy

Policy must include:

• Prevention of injury and ill-health

• Commitment to eliminate hazards

• Commitment to legal compliance

• Continual improvement

• Worker participation

Policy must be:

• Documented

• Communicated

• Available to stakeholders

5.3 Organizational Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities

Define duties for elimination of hazards, reporting, compliance, and OH&S performance.

5.4 Consultation and Participation of Workers

Workers must be involved in:

• Hazard identification

• Risk assessments

• Incident investigations

• Decision-making

• Audits & inspections

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Clause 6 – Planning

6.1 Actions to Address Risks and Opportunities

Two types of risks:

1. OH&S risks (hazards)

2. OHSMS-related risks (system failures)

Also plan for:

• Opportunities for improvement

• Legal requirements

• Emergency preparedness

6.1.2 Hazard Identification

Hazards include:

• Physical

• Chemical

• Biological

• Ergonomic

• Psychosocial

• Mechanical

• Electrical

• Work-at-height

• Fire hazards

Methods:

• Workplace inspections

• Job safety analysis (JSA)

• HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment)

• Incident/near-miss analysis

6.1.2.2 Assessment of OH&S Risks

Use methods like:

• Qualitative

• Quantitative

• Likelihood × Severity matrix

6.1.2.3 Assessment of OH&S Opportunities

Examples:

• Automation

• Safety innovations

• Training programs

• Improved communication

6.1.3 Legal and Other Requirements

Identify and update:

• National laws (Factories Act, BOCW, OSHA, etc.)

• Client requirements

• Industry standards
  Maintain register of legal requirements.

6.2 OH&S Objectives

Objectives must be:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Relevant

• Time-bound (SMART)

Examples:

• Reduce LTIs by 20%

• 100% toolbox talks

• Zero electrical unsafe conditions

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Clause 7 – Support

7.1 Resources

Provide sufficient:

• Personnel

• Equipment

• PPE

• Training

• Budget

• Monitoring instruments

7.2 Competence

Workers must be competent through:

• Education

• Skills

• Experience

• Training

Maintain competence records.

7.3 Awareness

Workers must know:

• OH&S policy

• Hazards related to their tasks

• Emergency procedures

• Incident reporting procedures

7.4 Communication

Communication must be:

• Internal (toolbox talks, meetings)

• External (regulators, contractors)

7.5 Documented Information

Two types:

• Maintained documents (procedures, policies)

• Retained documents (records, reports)

Control documents through:

• Versioning

• Accessibility

• Identification

• Protection against loss/damage

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Clause 8 – Operation

8.1 Operational Planning and Control

Includes:

• Safe work procedures

• Permit-to-work system (PTW)

• Contractor management

• Change management

• Procurement controls

8.1.2 Elimination of Hazards and Risk Reduction

Hierarchy of controls:

1. Elimination

2. Substitution

3. Engineering controls

4. Administrative controls

5. PPE

8.1.3 Management of Change (MOC)

Evaluate safety before:

• New equipment

• New processes

• Material changes

• Organisational changes

8.1.4 Procurement

Ensure purchased materials, equipment, and services meet OH&S requirements.

8.1.4.2 Contractor Control

Contractors must undergo:

• Prequalification

• Induction

• Monitoring

• Evaluation

8.2 Emergency Preparedness and Response

Plan for:

• Fire

• Medical emergencies

• Chemical spills

• Natural disasters

• Structural failures

Include:

• Emergency plan

• Assembly points

• Mock drills

• First aiders

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Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation

9.1 Monitoring, Measurement, Analysis, and Evaluation

Areas to monitor:

• Incident/accident rates

• Safety inspections

• Near misses

• Unsafe acts/conditions

• Health surveillance

• Legal compliance

Indicators:

• LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate)

• TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate)

• Severity rate

9.2 Internal Audit

Purpose:

• Verify compliance with ISO 45001

• Ensure effectiveness of OHSMS

• Identify improvement areas

Audit process:

• Audit plan

• Checklist

• Audit execution

• Report

• Corrective actions

9.3 Management Review

Top Management must review:

• Audit results

• OH&S performance

• Incidents

• Resources

• Legal compliance

• Improvement opportunities

Outcome:

• Updated policies

• Revised objectives

• Resource allocation

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Clause 10 – Improvement

10.1 General

Identify opportunities for improvement.

10.2 Incident, Nonconformity, and Corrective Action

When incident occurs:

• React immediately

• Investigate root cause

• Take corrective actions

• Update risk assessments

Root cause analysis tools:

• 5 Why analysis

• Fishbone diagram

• Fault tree analysis

10.3 Continual Improvement

Achieved through:

• Technology updates

• System upgrades

• Employee suggestions

• Contractor feedback

• Periodic risk assessments

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4. Important Definitions (ISO 45001)

Hazard

Source with potential to cause injury or ill health.

Risk

Combination of likelihood and severity of harm.

OH&S Opportunity

Circumstances that improve safety performance.

Incident

Event that could or does lead to injury (including near misses).

Worker participation

Involvement of workers in decision-making processes.

Documented information

Information required to be controlled and maintained.

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5. Key Differences: ISO 45001 vs OHSAS 18001

Feature	OHSAS 18001	ISO 45001
Structure	Not HLS	Follows HLS (Annex SL)
Focus	Mostly hazard control	Proactive risk management
Worker Participation	Limited	Strongly emphasized
Leadership	Not strong	Mandatory leadership involvement
Contractor control	Limited	Detailed requirements
Integration	Difficult	Easy with ISO 9001, 14001

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6. Benefits of Implementing ISO 45001

Operational Benefits

• Reduced downtime

• Fewer accidents

• Increased productivity

Legal & Compliance Benefits

• Helps maintain legal compliance

• Reduces fines and penalties

• Improves documentation and investigation

Employee Benefits

• Safer workplace

• Better morale

• Higher engagement

Business Benefits

• Improved brand value

• Better client confidence

• Increased tender eligibility

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7. Common Documents Required for ISO 45001

• OH&S Policy

• Roles and responsibilities

• Hazard identification & risk assessment (HIRA)

• Legal register

• SOPs and SWPs (Safe Work Procedures)

• Permit-to-work forms

• Training records

• Incident investigation reports

• Emergency plans

• Audit reports

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8. Frequently Asked Exam Points

PDCA Cycle in ISO 45001

• Plan: Clause 4, 5, 6

• Do: Clause 7, 8

• Check: Clause 9

• Act: Clause 10

Hierarchy of Controls

1. Elimination

2. Substitution

3. Engineering

4. Administrative

5. PPE

Top Management Responsibilities

• Demonstrate leadership

• Allocate resources

• Ensure worker participation

• Approve OH&S policy and objectives

• Review OH&S performance

Types of Hazards

• Physical

• Chemical

• Biological

• Ergonomic

• Psychosocial

• Electrical

• Mechanical

• Radiological

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9. ISO 45001 Audit Checklist (Quick Notes)

• Is OH&S policy documented and communicated?

• Are hazards identified and risk assessments updated?

• Are legal requirements identified and complied with?

• Are workers trained and competent?

• Are emergency plans tested?

• Is PPE adequate and used?

• Are incidents investigated?

• Are audits conducted on schedule?

• Are corrective actions implemented?

• Is management review performed annually?

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10. Conclusion

ISO 45001 provides a clear, structured framework to manage occupational health and safety risks and improve workplace conditions. It emphasizes leadership, worker participation, proactive risk management, legal compliance, and continual improvement. Implementation builds a strong safety culture, reduces incidents, and ensures long-term organizational sustainability.