Standards Comparison

    ISO 45001

    Voluntary
    2018

    International standard for occupational health and safety management

    VS

    FedRAMP

    Mandatory
    2011

    U.S. program standardizing federal cloud security authorization

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 45001 provides voluntary OH&S management certification for global organizations to prevent injuries, while FedRAMP mandates standardized cloud security authorization for US federal agencies to ensure reusable, rigorous protections.

    Occupational Health & Safety

    ISO 45001

    ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Annex SL structure for integrated management systems
    • Top management accountability and worker participation
    • Risk-based planning with hierarchy of controls
    • Explicit operational controls for contractors and change
    • PDCA cycle with performance evaluation and improvement
    Cloud Security

    FedRAMP

    Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Reusable authorizations across federal agencies
    • NIST SP 800-53 baselines at Low/Moderate/High levels
    • Independent 3PAO security assessments required
    • Continuous monitoring with monthly data feeds
    • FedRAMP Marketplace for transparency and procurement

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    ISO 45001 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 45001:2018 is an international standard specifying requirements for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems. It provides a framework to prevent work-related injury and ill health, proactively improving OH&S performance using a risk-based approach and PDCA cycle, aligned with Annex SL for integration.

    Key Components

    • Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operation, evaluation, improvement.
    • Emphasizes hierarchy of controls, worker participation, contractor management.
    • Built on high-level structure; no fixed controls, outcome-focused.
    • Optional third-party certification via audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Reduces incidents, legal risks, costs; enhances resilience, reputation.
    • Meets stakeholder, supply-chain demands; voluntary but strategic.
    • Drives culture change, efficiency via integration with ISO 9001/14001.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits, review.
    • Scalable for all sizes/sectors; 6-12 months typical.
    • Involves leadership commitment, training, documented information.

    FedRAMP Details

    What It Is

    FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government-wide framework standardizing security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud services used by federal agencies. Its primary purpose is to enable secure, reusable cloud adoption via NIST SP 800-53-derived baselines tailored to FIPS 199 impact levels (Low, Moderate, High), reducing duplication across agencies.

    Key Components

    • Baselines with ~156 (Low), ~323 (Moderate), ~410 (High) controls, plus LI-SaaS subset.
    • Core artifacts: SSP, SAR, POA&M; independent 3PAO assessments.
    • Built on NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5; continuous monitoring via automation and data feeds.
    • Authorization paths: Agency ATOs, Program Authorizations; Marketplace for reuse.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for federal cloud procurement; unlocks contracts worth millions.
    • Enhances security posture, risk management, and presumption of adequacy.
    • Builds trust, competitive edge in federal market; supports commercial differentiation.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: categorization, documentation, 3PAO assessment, remediation, monitoring.
    • Applies to CSPs serving federal data; high complexity for all sizes.
    • Requires A2LA-accredited audits; timelines 10-19 months; costs $150k-$2M+.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 45001
    Occupational health & safety management
    FedRAMP
    Cloud security assessment & authorization

    Industry

    ISO 45001
    All industries worldwide, scalable
    FedRAMP
    US federal cloud services only

    Nature

    ISO 45001
    Voluntary international certification
    FedRAMP
    Mandatory US government program

    Testing

    ISO 45001
    Internal audits, management reviews
    FedRAMP
    3PAO assessments, continuous monitoring

    Penalties

    ISO 45001
    Loss of certification, no legal fines
    FedRAMP
    Revocation of authorization, contract loss

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 45001 and FedRAMP

    ISO 45001 FAQ

    FedRAMP FAQ

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