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For years, occupational health and safety management systems were primarily associated with protection against physical hazards — falls from height, exposure to hazardous substances, and accidents involving machinery. The 2018 version of the ISO 45001 standard largely reflected this understanding of occupational safety. However, the current revision of the standard, due to be published as ISO 45001:2027, introduces a shift in perspective — employees’ mental health and wellbeing are set to become a fully-fledged part of the occupational health and safety management system, rather than a side issue dealt with ‘as an afterthought’.
The revision of the standard does not happen in a vacuum. The International Organisation for Standardisation regularly reviews its standards to adapt them to the changing reality of the workplace — and this reality has changed significantly in recent years. Hybrid and remote working, increasing pressure to perform, burnout, and social isolation within dispersed teams — these are phenomena that the traditional model of health and safety management, focused on physical hazards, simply did not address sufficiently.
The first draft revision (Committee Draft) was published in 2025, and the standard is currently at the Draft International Standard stage, which means that the direction of the changes is already fairly well known, although the final form of the standard may still change slightly before publication. According to current announcements, the final version is expected to be published in 2027, followed by the standard transition period of several years for organisations already certified to the previous version of the standard.
Although the details of the requirements may still be subject to modification at subsequent stages of the standardisation process, several key areas are already clearly emerging in the published drafts:
Psychosocial risk as a fully-fledged hazard category. Work-related stress, excessive workload, time pressure and team dynamics are to be identified and assessed on a par with physical hazards — not as an add-on, but as an integral part of occupational risk assessment.
A stronger role for leadership and organisational culture. The new version of the standard places greater emphasis on how management is actually involved in creating a safe and supportive working environment, rather than merely formally approving health and safety policies.
Taking into account diversity and the individual needs of workers. The revision aims to pay greater attention to the fact that different groups of workers — due to their age, state of health, form of employment or way of working — may be exposed to different types of risk.
Organisational resilience and preparedness for disruptions. Taking into account risks associated with climate change, crisis situations or new forms of work as an element that the health and safety management system should consider.
Better integration with other management systems. As with the integration of the health and safety system with quality management, the harmonised ISO structure is intended to make it easier for companies to operate an integrated management system, rather than treating health and safety as a separate, unconnected area of documentation.
Those familiar with the subject of health and safety might ask at this point: isn’t this simply what the ISO 45003 standard, which covers the management of psychological health at work, has been describing for several years? The answer is: partly yes, but with a significant practical difference. ISO 45003 is a guidance document — it is not subject to certification and serves as a resource for organisations wishing to manage psychosocial risks more effectively. The inclusion of this subject matter directly within ISO 45001 means that it will cease to be a voluntary, supplementary element and will become a formal requirement subject to assessment during a certification audit.
This changes the situation for virtually every organisation holding an occupational health and safety certificate — the previous approach of ‘we have an occupational health and safety policy and that’s enough’ will no longer suffice if the system does not include the effective identification and management of psychosocial risks.
It is worth emphasising that the revision of the standard does not mean an overnight revolution. Organisations holding certification under the current version will have time to adapt during a transition period, and many of the requirements – whilst new in formal terms – in practice expand on topics that are already partly regulated by the Polish Labour Code, such as combating workplace bullying or ensuring decent working conditions. The difference lies in the fact that the standard will require a more systematic and documented approach than merely meeting the minimum legal requirements.
For companies that are already building their organisational culture on the basis of genuine management commitment and open communication with employees, the transition to the new version of the standard should be a relatively natural extension of their existing system. It will be more difficult for those organisations that have treated the health and safety certificate purely as a documentary formality, without any real impact on day-to-day team management.
Although the final version of the standard has not yet been published, there is nothing to stop you from starting your preparations in advance:
ISO 45001:2027 is not a cosmetic update, but a genuine shift in the philosophy underpinning occupational health and safety management — moving away from protection against physical hazards towards a holistic approach to workers’ health and wellbeing. Companies that start preparing for this change now, rather than waiting for the final publication of the standard, will have a much easier start once the new requirements come into force.
DJB DORADZTWO
Marcin Chorąży
