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Abstract The development of ISO standards in the field of occupational health and safety (OH&S) is a relatively recent development, beginning with the publication of ISO 45001 in 2018. Since then, a number of further guidance standards have been published, including ISO 45003 the first international standard to address the psychological health, safety and wellbeing of workers, ISO/PAS 45005 which provided OH&S guidance specific to the Covid-19 pandemic, and ISO 45006 providing broader guidance on preventing and managing infectious diseases in the workplace. Work is now getting underway on the development of several more such standards, including guidance on the OH&S impacts of climate change, and guidance on managing OH&S for remote working. As a relative newcomer to the OH&S toolbox, what impact has ISO 45001 had? And how does ISO determine on which topics to supporting guidance materials? How are the standards developed, and how can OH&S practitioners contribute to the process? This semi-plenary session aims to answer these questions by explaining how ISO standards are created, who they are written for, and how they can be used. It will describe the relationship between standards and regulation, and how the use of voluntary standards can complement and support the effective implementation of OH&S regulations. The session will include an overview of the work of the ISO Technical Committee for OH&S (ISO/TC 283) describing its current portfolio of published standards and standards under development, as well as explaining the composition of the international committee and how it undertakes document development. The various stages of the development of a new standard will be described from initial concept through to publication, and the process of decision making explained, as will the various types of deliverables that the committee can develop. The opportunities for OH&S practitioners to contribute to the development of the committee’s standards will be described, ranging from the submission of comments on public drafts of documents under development, through to participation in national mirror committees and TC 283 itself. The session will include guidance on how to comment effectively on public drafts of standards for maximum impact. The session will describe some of the challenges faced in the development of standards and in achieving impact across the broad target audience that our documents seek to address. It will explain how research has resulted in an evolving approach to how diversity is addressed within ISO 45000 series standards, where further research is needed, and the importance of collaboration with other actors in the OH&S field.
Cottam et al. (Mon,) studied this question.