Update on UK’s EN ISO 45001:2023 Standard: What It Means for Organisations

A new UK version of EN ISO 45001 was published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) on 31^st August 2023. The new BS EN ISO 45001:2023 supersedes BS ISO 45001:2018 which is now withdrawn.

The new version for the UK is identical to BS ISO 45001:2018, as such organisations are not required to buy a copy of the updated version. The certification process remains unchanged with certification bodies certifying against the international version of the standard (ISO 45001:2018). The update was required to transpose the European version of the standard at a national level.

As such the new version of the standard should have no impact on UK organisations who are certified or working towards being certified against ISO 45001. Further detail on the change and the difference between versions of the standard is explained below.

Meaning of abbreviations

ISO – refers to international standards, issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

EN – refers to standards that are adopted at European level, for a better integration of national standards.

BS – refers to UK standards, issued by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

 

What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is the globally recognised occupational health and safety standard (OH&S) developed by the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO). The standard specifies requirements for an OH&S management system and provides a framework for risk management and and improved risk management within organisations. The current version the Standard is ISO 45001:2018.

 

What is EN ISO 45001:2023?

EN ISO 45001:2023 is the European version of the ISO 45001 standard. It was updated in 2023, but the content is identical to ISO 45001:2018.

Following this update, the National Standardisation Bodies in Europe, (including BSI in the UK) were required to transpose this change into national standards by February 2024.