ISO 45001 revision – what’s expected and how businesses should prepare

ISO 45001 is being revised for the first time since 2018. A draft has been published, and the new edition is expected in 2027. ISO 45001:2018 remains the current standard for certification. Draft proposals include more focus on psychosocial risks, wellbeing, remote work and return to work.

The ISO 45001 update

Because the standard is still in draft, details may change before publication. For businesses with an established occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, though, the direction so far suggests development of existing requirements rather than a complete overhaul.

Where has the revision got to?

ISO’s technical committee for occupational health and safety management is leading the revision. A Draft International Standard was published in June 2026 for comment and voting, and the next stage is a final draft ahead of publication.

Drafts can change between stages. What follows is therefore a guide to the direction of travel, not a statement of final requirements.

What does the draft suggest will change?

Published commentary on the draft points to several themes receiving greater emphasis.

Psychosocial risks and mental health

Workload, bullying, harassment and other psychosocial hazards appear likely to be named more explicitly when identifying hazards. These risks can already be covered under the 2018 edition, so for many organisations this is about visibility and evidence. ISO 45003, the existing guidance on managing psychosocial risks, is a useful reference.

Work-related wellbeing

The draft appears to move beyond preventing injury and ill health towards promoting healthy working conditions. The emphasis is on how work is organised and managed, rather than on workers’ private lives.

Changing ways of working

Home, hybrid and remote working, digital platform-based work and new technologies are expected to feature more prominently in hazard identification.

Safety culture and reporting

Top management’s role in leading a preventive safety culture looks set to be more explicit, including encouraging people to report incidents and hazards and protecting those who do from negative consequences.

Diversity and individual needs

Organisations may need to consider the different needs of their workers, including in emergency arrangements for people with disabilities.

Occupational health and return to work

Published analyses of the draft also highlight occupational health and arrangements for supporting workers returning after injury or ill health.

Climate-related risks and resilience

Hazards such as extreme weather and heat stress are expected to be considered, building on the climate change amendment already added to ISO 45001:2018 in 2024.

Contractors and suppliers

There appears to be greater attention on external providers and outsourced activities.
Many of these topics are already part of good OH&S practice. The question for businesses will be whether they are addressed systematically and can be evidenced.

What isn’t expected to change?

The structure of the standard is expected to remain the same. The draft follows the Harmonized Structure used across ISO management system standards, so the layout will be familiar. Worker consultation and participation remain central, and the Plan–Do–Check–Act approach continues to underpin the system.

Do businesses need to do anything now?

Not in terms of certification. ISO 45001:2018 remains the edition to work to, and existing certificates remain valid. No transition deadline has yet been announced for ISO 45001.

Once it is, certification bodies will set out transition arrangements. A transition period is expected, as with other ISO management system standards, but its length hasn’t been confirmed.

How can businesses prepare?

There’s no need to rewrite your system. A proportionate, early review can make the eventual transition easier:

• Keep up to date: Follow the revision’s progress, and ask your certification body how it plans to handle the transition.
• Review psychosocial risk: Consider how your hazard identification deals with workload, bullying and other work-related stressors.
• Look at return to work: Check what support exists for workers coming back after injury or ill health.
• Review working arrangements and external providers: Check how your health and safety management system addresses remote and hybrid working, contractors, suppliers and outsourced activities.
• Test your reporting culture: Consider whether people feel able to report concerns and how they are treated when they do.
• Involve management early: Leadership has a central role in what is expected, so it’s worth briefing them now.

How JVR can help

JVR’s ISO 45001 consultants can review your current arrangements, identify where the revised standard may require attention and help you build a proportionate plan, without introducing unnecessary paperwork.

We can also help you prepare for certification to the current edition and prepare for the eventual transition to the revised standard.

Find out more: ISO 45001 consultants and certification support.