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QHSE Glossary

ISO 45001

ISO 45001 is essential for workplace safety.

ISO 45001

ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety Management) is a critical concept in quality, health, safety, and environmental management.

What Is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems. It replaced OHSAS 18001 in March 2021. The standard requires organisations to identify hazards, assess OH&S risks and opportunities, determine legal requirements, set OH&S objectives, establish operational controls, prepare for emergencies, monitor performance, investigate incidents, and pursue continual improvement. A key differentiator from OHSAS 18001 is the emphasis on worker participation and consultation.

ISO 45001 Requirements Under UK Law

UK employers have a legal duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and sector-specific regulations (CDM 2015, COSHH, LOLER, PUWER). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces compliance with improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecution. Maximum penalties: unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment for individuals. In 2023/24, 135 workers were killed at work in the UK and 561,000 sustained non-fatal injuries.

Key Components of ISO 45001

  • Hazard identification
  • Risk assessment
  • Safety observations
  • Incident investigation
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Worker consultation
  • Competence and training
  • Operational control

ISO 45001 in Practice

A construction contractor (350 employees, 12 active sites) implements ISO 45001 using Q-Hub. Site supervisors complete safety observations via mobile app — averaging 45 observations per week across all sites. The near miss reporting rate increases from 2 per month to 28 per month within 6 months. Lost time injury frequency rate drops from 4.2 to 1.1 per million hours worked.

How to Manage ISO 45001 with Q-Hub

Q-Hub provides comprehensive tools for ISO 45001 management. The Incident Reporting module handles the core requirements. Combined with document control, audit scheduling, and training management, Q-Hub ensures your ISO 45001 processes are audit-ready at all times.

Related Terms

Want to see how Q-Hub handles ISO 45001 in practice? Book a demo or see pricing.

Related QHSE Terms

  • AS9100 — The aerospace quality management standard, based on ISO 9001 with additional requirements for aviati
  • Audit — A systematic, independent examination of processes, products, or systems to verify compliance with d
  • Bow-Tie Analysis — A visual risk assessment method that maps the causes of an event, the event itself, its consequences
  • CAPA — Corrective and Preventive Action — a systematic approach to investigating root causes of non-conform
  • COSHH — Control of Substances Hazardous to Health — UK regulations requiring employers to control exposure t
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