The International Organization for Standardization has published ISO 45001:2018 - Occupational health and safety management systems. This new standard could have broad applications in Canada – from large companies that put the entire standard into practice to small and medium-sized enterprises that refer to the standard.

Each day, more than 7,600 people die from work-related accidents or diseases – equivalent to more than 2.78 million people each year. The impact of workplace injuries is significant, both for employers and national economies. Workplace injuries result in early retirements, staff absences and rising insurance premiums, among other costs.

To improve occupational health and safety globally, ISO has developed a new standard, ISO 45001, occupational health and safety management systems. These are requirements that will help organizations reduce the burden of workplace injuries by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create safer working conditions all over the world – including in Canada.

The standard has been developed by a committee of occupational health and safety experts, and follows other management system approaches such as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. ISO 45001 also takes into account other international standards such as OHSAS 18001, the International Labour Organization's ILO-OSH guidelines, various national standards and the ILO's international labour standards and conventions.

ISO 45001 is intended for use by any organization, regardless of its size or the nature of its work, can be integrated into other health and safety programs, and assist organizations in fulfilling their legal obligations.