A new era in workplace safety has dawned with the release of ISO 45001, the international standard for occupational health and safety designed to help organizations across industry reduce injuries and illness around the world.

Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the new standard “provides governmental agencies, industry and other affected stakeholders with effective, usable guidance for improving worker safety in countries around the world,” according to a recent statement.

Safety leaders from over 70 countries worked together to produce the new standard and make it seamlessly compatible with other management systems standards. David Smith, who headed up the committee that developed ISO 45001, characterized his group’s work: “World standards writers have come together to provide a framework for a safer workplace for all, whatever sector you work in and wherever you work in the world. It is hoped that ISO 45001 will lead to a major transformation in workplace practices and reduce the tragic toll of work-related accidents and illnesses across the globe.”

We applaud ISO’s tireless efforts and contribution to global safety. ISO 45001 is a well-crafted framework that is certain to help organizations reduce injuries and protect the wellbeing of their employees. But how effective the standard is depends entirely on how well it is implemented from the ground up. Adopting the standard without understanding the state of key organizational characteristics is like building a house without preparing the foundation. The structure may stand for a time, but the moment it is tested by changes in the company or an accident or a near miss, the whole framework could crumble.

The safety experts at DEKRA have worked with hundreds of companies across thousands of sites to determine the safety maturity of organizations and create a path toward world-class performance. Our expertise includes utilizing the discipline and structure of the management system framework (like ISO 45001) to target exposures in the workplace, drive down injuries, and build stronger safety leadership and cultures.

Unlike other consultancies, DEKRA’s approach goes beyond one-time outcomes to installing robust systems that sustain performance gains over the long term. We target change opportunities as well as tools and techniques for improving the health of the organization’s culture, so that people across levels are fluent in identifying and controlling potential exposures.

Let us help you get the most of ISO 45001.

• We work with you to design an implementation roadmap that will maximize the benefits of the ISO 45001 standard.
• Our safety maturity assessment tracks with the new standard to get a true picture of the state of safety and culture in your organization—ensuring a strong foundation for full execution.
• Our experts are fluent in the intricacies and nuances of the standard—taking the burden out of the implementation process and accelerating continuous, systemic execution.
• We design strategies that support ISO 45001 through tailored solutions specific to the unique workplace, business, and culture needs of your organization.

Learn more about how we are helping organizations like yours set a new standard in safety. Visit our ISO 45001 Support Page.