The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has approved plans to develop a new standard for global occupational health and safety (OSH). The standard will provide governmental agencies and industry stakeholders with effective, usable guidance to improve worker safety internationally, and, for the first time, provide a global framework for occupational safety and health best practice.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has been assigned as the secretariat of ISO/PC 283 for the initiative, and its first meeting is expected to be held on 21-25 October 2013 in London.
The ISO project committee will bring together industry experts and interested stakeholders to develop the standard following management system approaches such as those pioneered in ISO 9001:2008 for quality management or ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management.
"The economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4 percent of global Gross Domestic Product each year, according to ILO.” Says Secretary of ISO/PC 283 Charles Corrie “Creating a safe work environment is critical to the success of any business, and is one of the best ways to attract/retain staff and maximize productivity. Though it's still in its infancy, the future ISO standard will provide businesses around the world with a strong foundation to achieve long-term success."
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