This International Standard specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, with guidance for its use, to enable an organization to provide safe and healthy working conditions for the prevention of work-related injury and ill health and to proactively improve its OH&S performance. This includes the development and implementation of an OH&S policy and objectives which take into account applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes.

This International Standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:

a) establish, implement and maintain an OH&S management system to improve occupational health and safety, eliminate or minimize OH&S risks (including system deficiencies), take advantage of OH&S opportunities, and address OH&S management system nonconformities associated with its activities;

b) continually improve its OH&S performance and the achievement of its OH&S objectives;

c) assure itself of conformity with its OH&S policy;

d) demonstrate conformity with the requirements of this International Standard.

This International Standard is intended to be applicable to any organization regardless of its size, type and activities and applies to the OH&S risks under the organization’s control, taking into account factors such as the context in which the organization operates and the needs and expectations of its workers and other interested parties.

This International Standard does not state specific criteria for OH&S performance, nor is it prescriptive about the design of an OH&S management system.

This International Standard enables an organization, through its OH&S management system, to integrate other aspects of health and safety, such as worker wellness/ wellbeing.

This International Standard does not address issues such as product safety, property damage or environmental impacts, beyond the risks they provide to workers and other relevant interested parties

This International Standard can be used in whole or in part to systematically improve OH&S management. However, claims of conformity to this International Standard are not acceptable unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organization's OH&S management system and fulfilled without exclusion.

NOTE     For further guidance on the intent of the requirements in this International Standard, see Annex A.