Comments welcome on the new International Standard providing guidance on managing psychological health and safety at work

5 August 2020

Public consultation on the international standard ISO/DIS 45003, Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work: managing psychosocial risks — Guidelines is now open until 3 October.

BSI, the UK’s National Standards Body, is seeking consultation from business owners, line managers, HR and OH&S professionals and anyone else who has an interest in psychological health and well-being at work. Experts can register their comments online at: https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2018-02515#/section

The standard provides guidance on protecting psychological health by managing psychosocial risk within an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. It aims to enable organizations manage this complex and important aspect of OH&S and promote well-being at work. It covers:

How to identify the conditions, circumstances and workplace demands that can impact the psychological health and well-being of workers
How to identify primary risk factors and assess them to determine what changes are can be made to limit those risks; and
How to control work-related hazards and manage psychosocial risk within an OH&S management system.

ISO 45003 is applicable to organizations of all sizes and in all sectors for the development, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of safe and healthy workplaces.

The standard is currently being developed by the international occupational health and safety management technical committee (ISO/TC 283), and so far has received input from hundreds of experts from more than 40 countries.