Psychological Health and Safety: ISO 45003
The new ISO Standard 45003
A new Standard has been published by the International Organisation of Standardisation - ISO 45003. This helps organisations identify the conditions, circumstances and workplace demands that may be potentially damaging to the psychological health and well-being of workers.
The standard contains guidance detailing practical help for employers on how to manage psychosocial risk in the workplace. This will provide organisations with guidance on how to develop a structure that identifies primary risk factors and helps them to improve their working environment.
Benefits
The ISO 45003 framework can benefit your organisation in the following ways:
- Organisational resilience: with a strong risk management system and support network, workplaces will be able to maintain the mental health of workers;
- Awareness: with improved monitoring, employees can gain a better understanding of employee well-being and identify workers at risk of mental ill health;
- Productivity and absenteeism: better well-being will decrease worker stress, increase the productivity of employees and reduce absenteeism;
- Diversity: with improved protection of workers, organisations can maintain a diverse workforce;
- Compliance: the Standard will help your organisation stay compliant with legal requirements;
- Communication: the Standard encourages communication between managers and workers, leading to reduced psychosocial risk;
- Remote working: 45003 protects those who work remotely or out of hours; and
- Confidentiality: the Standard helps organisations to establish a confidential process so that workers can be further protected.
What is ISO 45003?
As a result of increased research on the negative effects of psychosocial risks on people in the workplace, ISO 45003 was published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) as a set of recommendations for managing these psychosocial risks.
With this Standard, organisations of all sizes can implement processes that aim to protect their employees from psychological hazards and provide them with support for their mental health and wellbeing. In doing so, workplaces can build a positive working environment that refines organisational resilience and strengthens productivity rates and staff retention.
Handsam Resources
External Resources
ISO 45003 Certification Psychological health & safety at work – Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks
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