ISO 45003: A driving force

for the effective

management of
psychological health &
safety in the workplace
ISO 45003 – The changing landscape for
managing psychosocial risks
IOSH Webinar 30 Sept 2020
Dr Carlo Caponecchia
carloc@unsw.edu.au
@psycarlogy
Why can 45003 be a
driving force for the
effective management
of psychological health
and safety?

1. Alignment within OHSMSs

2. Important guidance
3. Symbolic value
4. Readiness
The OHSMS
Standards
systems - Requirements with guidance for use
family tree
ISO45003
Occupational health and safety
management — Psychological health
and safety at work : managing
psychosocial risks — Guidelines
ISO45001:2018
Occupational health and safety management
The management systems
standards forest
ISO45001 OHSMSs – A
ISO45004 OHS metrics practical guide for small
organisations
ISO PAS 45005 OHS
Management – Safe ISO45002 General guidelines
working during a pandemic for the implementation of
ISO45001: 2018
 PLAN DO CHECK ACT

9 Performance 10
4 Context 5 Leadership 6 Planning 7 Support 8 Operations
evaluation Improvement

4.1 Understanding the
org & its context
9.1 Monitoring,
5.1 Leadership & 6.1 Actions to address 8.1 Operational measurement, analysis
7.1 Support 10.1 General
commitment risks & opportunities planning & control & performance
evaluation

4.2 Understanding the 6.2 OHS objectives & 8.2 Emergency 10.2 Incident,
needs & expectations of 5.2 OHS policy planning to achieve 7.2 Competence preparedness & 9.2 Internal audit nonconformity &
workers them response corrective action

4.3 Determining the 5.3 Org roles, 9.3 Management 10.3 Continual
7.3 Awareness
scope of the OHSMS responsibilities review improvement

4.4. OHS management 5.4 Consultation &

7.4 Communication
system participation of workers

7.5 Documented
Information
Adapted from ISO45001:2018
1. Psychosocial risk within OHSMS
• 45001 and 45003 advocate the consideration and treatment of
psychosocial risk within a regular safety management system
• Tailored, integrated, documented, systematic, monitored,
reviewed, improved

• What values, assumptions, perspectives should apply?

• It’s part of safety, alongside other health and safety issues
• What should we do about it?
• Prevent harm, manage risk
Challenges in psychosocial risks
Focus on health Competency gaps wrt Non-systemic
promotion/awareness psych hazards approaches

Ownership: individuals
Perceived irrelevance Focus on individual-
vulnerability vs work
to safety level controls
design

Jargon and multiple

terms
2. Important guidance
• Examples of hazards (Clause 6)
• Examples of risk controls (Clause 8)
• Identification/explanation of elements of an OHSMS that bear
on psychosocial risk
• eg. internal and external context (Clause 4);
• communication and competence (Clause 7);
• procurement (Clause 8)
• Identification of the interaction between different types of
hazards (Clause 6)
• eg. hazardous manual tasks, other hazards
3. Symbolic value

Organisations: Workers:
Here’s what we should do Here’s what we should expect
4. Readiness
• Readiness for this document has been building for a long time,
due to the sustained effort of many
• Broader public awareness of work and non-work issues, and
major social movements (eg. regarding sexual harassment)
• Multiple pieces of work converging
• legislative reviews, inquiries, guidance, codes of practice, position
papers, standards in particular jurisdictions, research, advocacy, injury
and compensation data, media coverage
• COVID-19 has drawn even more attention to psychological
health at work (WHO, 2020; Godderis & Luyten, 2020; Caponecchia & Mayand, 2020; Tan et al.,
2020; Holmes et al., 2020).
• Holmes., E. A. et al., (2020). Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for
mental health science. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7, 6, 547-560

• WHO (March 2020) Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331490/WHO-2019-nCoV-MentalHealth-2020.1-eng.pdf

• Tan, W. et al (2020) Is returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic stressful? A study on immediate mental
health status and psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures of Chinese workforce. Brain Behav &
Immunity,87, 84-92.

• Caponecchia, C & Mayland, E (2020). Transitioning to job redesign: improving workplace health and safety in
the COVID-19 era. Occu Environ Med, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2020-106969

• Godderis L, Luyten J. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for occupational health and safety after the COVID-
19 lockdowns. Occup Environ Med ,77:511–2.doi:10.1136/oemed-2020-106645