ISO 45001:2027 Is Coming - What's Changing and How To Prepare

Wednesday, 23 September 2026 10:00 AM

Topic:

Environmental, Social and Governance

By Miranda Togo

Key Takeaways

ISO 45001 is expected to be revised in 2027, with new and expanded emphasis on psychosocial hazards, worker well-being, climate change, worker diversity, occupational health, and return-to-work.
Organizations certified to ISO 45001:2018 do not need to make immediate changes, but understanding the draft requirements now can help make the eventual transition easier.
EHS teams can begin preparing without overhauling their management systems by evaluating potential gaps, strengthening worker participation and psychosocial risk processes, and reviewing contractor and external provider controls.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / September 23, 2026 / ISO 45001 is getting its first major update since it was published in 2018. A draft of the revised standard - ISO/DIS 45001 - is now out for international comment, which gives us our clearest look yet at where occupational health and safety management is headed.

ISO 45001 is the globally recognized international standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management systems. It gives organizations a structured, risk-based framework for preventing work-related injury and ill health, meeting their legal obligations, and continually improving safety performance. Since 2018, it has helped organizations move from reactive safety practices to a proactive, leadership-driven approach and it remains the certifiable edition throughout this transition.

So why are we talking about it now? The Draft International Standard (DIS) was released in mid-2026 for a formal ballot and comment period among national member bodies. Based on current expectations from ISO and the certification bodies, the revised standard is anticipated sometime in 2027, most likely in the second half of the year. Once it's published, certified organizations should expect a three-year transition window (consistent with the pattern for other ISO management system standards) to move from the 2018 edition to the new one.

What's Changing for ISO 45001

Here is a walk-through of the anticipated changes. The requirements, wording, and even the clause numbering can still change before the final publication, so nothing here should be treated as final. Think of this as a preview.

Terms and Definitions (Clause 3)

Three new definitions are introduced: "work-related well-being," "disability," and "external provider."
The definition of "OH&S risk" has been reworked, and the standalone general definition of "risk" from 2018 has been removed.
"External provider" replaces the previous references to "outsourcing," and the definition of "workplace" is broadened to include remote settings - a home, a vehicle, or a public space.
The word "outcomes" is being replaced throughout with "results" (applied the same way), and the Annex has been significantly expanded to support clearer, more consistent interpretation.

Context of the Organization (Clause 4)

Climate change becomes an explicit consideration: organizations will need to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue when defining their context.
New notes provide examples of relevant internal and external issues to consider for OH&S.
A new requirement to take into account the diversity of workers when determining the needs and expectations of interested parties.

Leadership (Clause 5)

The title is streamlined, but the expectations on top management grow, including a clearer role in building a supportive culture and promoting the reporting of incidents, hazards, and risks with protection from reprisals.
The OH&S policy is expected to include new commitments: promoting consultation and participation of non-managerial workers, promoting work-related well-being, and top management serving as a role model.

Planning (Clause 6)

Hazard identification expands considerably to explicitly include new and changing technologies, digital platform-based work, remote workers, psychosocial hazards, occupational health hazards, and climate change impacts.
Risk assessment is expected to require defined methods and criteria, consideration of the combined impact of multiple hazards, and a process for prioritizing risks.
Opportunity assessment adds influencing and supporting external providers and considering health surveillance to prevent occupational disease.
A new standalone Clause 6.3, "Planning of Changes," pulls change-planning out of the general planning text into its own requirement - mirroring the direction ISO 14001:2026 took.

Support (Clause 7)

Competence is expected to carry a firm requirement to provide training at no cost, during working hours, at the regular rate of pay (language that previously lived mainly in the notes).
Awareness expands to include protection from pressure, intimidation, harassment, and retaliation when reporting, along with awareness of reporting processes and investigation results.
Communication adds consideration of worker diversity and the need for sensitivity and confidentiality of personal or health-related information.

Operation (Clause 8)

This is the most structurally significant area. Operational planning adds requirements to improve work-related well-being and to reassess controls on-site for situations that can't be fully assessed in advance.
The hierarchy of controls is refined - expanding administrative controls, personal protective equipment (PPE) that provides effective protection and proper fit for each worker, consideration of worker diversity, and providing PPE at no cost.
A brand-new Clause 8.1.3, "Occupational Health," addresses anticipation and control of health hazards, early detection of ill health, access to occupational health services, and reasonable adjustments.
A brand-new Clause 8.1.4, "Return to Work Following Injury and Ill Health," covers supporting recovery, safe reintegration, consultation on adjusted duties, and protection from reprisals.
"Procurement" is reframed as "Externally Provided Processes, Products, and Services," with OH&S selection criteria and contractual requirements; the old outsourcing/contractor sub-structure is consolidated.
Emergency preparedness adds personal emergency evacuation plans for people with disabilities and their involvement in planning.

Performance Evaluation (Clause 9)

Monitoring and measurement content is reorganized under a clearer structure.
Management review is split into General, Inputs, and Results.

Improvement (Clause 10)

The section is reordered and retitled to align with the latest ISO management system format - leading with Continual Improvement, followed by Nonconformity and Corrective Action.
The core expectations around identifying nonconformities, taking corrective action, and driving continual improvement remain largely consistent with 2018.

What Do the ISO 45001 Changes Mean for Your Business?

If you're currently certified to ISO 45001:2018, none of this requires immediate action, but the direction the standard is heading is clear, and early awareness makes the eventual transition easier. As the draft matures, these are the areas where certified organizations should expect to focus their attention:

Psychosocial and well-being: Be ready to treat psychosocial hazards and work-related well-being as systematic parts of your risk process. Alignment with ISO 45003 concepts will help. ISO 45003 is the companion guidance standard to ISO 45001 focused on psychological health and safety, providing organizations with a structured approach to identifying and managing psychosocial hazards like excessive workload, fatigue, workplace conflict, organizational change, and other work-related stressors. For organizations operating internationally with newly proliferating and expanding psychosocial risk requirements this may not come as a surprise, but many organizations are still struggling with the development and roll-out of a globally applicable program. This takes time to get it right and starting the lay the groundwork early should pay off well for many organizations.
Climate and context: Expect to show that you've considered whether climate change is a relevant issue and how it affects your workers and operations.
Diversity of workers: Anticipate demonstrating how worker diversity shapes your hazard identification, controls, communication, and emergency planning.
Occupational health and return-to-work: These are new, dedicated requirements - many organizations will need to formalize processes that today are informal or HR-owned.
External providers: Review how you select, contract with, and oversee suppliers and contractors, since the expanded "externally provided" language broadens your scope of control.
Documentation and terminology: Plan to refresh policies, procedures, glossaries, and training materials to reflect new terms and updated language.

What to Do Now, While We Wait

There's no need to rewrite your management system against an unpublished draft. But there is meaningful, low risk work you can do today to get ahead, and much of it strengthens your 2018 system regardless of the final wording of the standard.

Organizations that also maintain an ISO 14001 environmental management system may already be navigating similar changes. Reviewing the latest ISO 14001:2026 updates alongside the proposed ISO 45001 revisions can help identify opportunities to address changes across an integrated management system.

A practical starting checklist:

Keep maintaining ISO 45001:2018 - it remains the certifiable standard, and a strong current system is the best foundation for any transition.
Watch the timeline - track the DIS and FDIS stages so you know when the requirements firm up and the transition clock is likely to start.
Run an early, informal gap assessment against the draft themes - psychosocial risk, well-being, diversity, climate, occupational health, and return-to-work - to see where you already have coverage or gaps.
Strengthen worker participation and psychosocial risk evaluation now - these are consistent themes across the draft and rarely end up as wasted effort.
Review your legal and "other requirements" processes so new obligations can be folded in smoothly.
Check your external provider and contractor controls against the broader "externally provided" direction.
Use the draft changes to shape your next management review - a simple readiness discussion with leadership goes a long way toward a less disruptive transition later.

How Antea Group Can Help

When you're ready to prepare, our team can help you make the shift with confidence. Our support includes:

Management system updates to align policies, procedures, registers, and document-control language with the revised standard.
Internal audits or gap assessments against your current 2018 system now, and transition audits against the new edition when it's published.
Training, specialized support, and programmatic development (local or global) in emerging focus areas such as psychosocial risk, Total Worker Health, and safety culture.

If you have questions about the ISO 45001 revision or want to start planning your transition, our experts are ready to help - reach out anytime.

Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Antea Group
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/antea-group
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Antea Group