ISO 45001
International standard for occupational health and safety management systems
ISO 17025
International standard for testing and calibration laboratory competence.
Quick Verdict
ISO 45001 provides OH&S management systems for all organizations to prevent workplace injuries, while ISO 17025 ensures laboratory competence for valid testing results. Companies adopt 45001 for safety culture and 17025 for market-trusted measurements and accreditation.
ISO 45001
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
Key Features
- Leadership accountability with worker participation requirements
- Risk-based approach to hazards and opportunities
- Hierarchy of controls prioritizing hazard elimination
- Annex SL structure for integrated management systems
- PDCA cycle driving continual improvement
ISO 17025
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for laboratory competence
Key Features
- Risk-based impartiality and confidentiality requirements
- Personnel competence lifecycle management and records
- Metrological traceability and measurement uncertainty evaluation
- Method selection, validation, and verification processes
- Proficiency testing for ongoing result validity
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 the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS). It provides a framework to prevent work-related injuries and ill health, improve OH&S performance, using a risk-based approach aligned with Annex SL (High-Level Structure) for integration with other ISO standards like ISO 9001 and 14001.
Key Components
- Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.
- Emphasizes hierarchy of controls, worker participation, and PDCA cycle.
- No fixed number of controls; scalable requirements.
- Optional third-party certification via audits.
Why Organizations Use It
- Reduces incidents, legal risks, and costs (e.g., 22.6% accident frequency drop).
- Enhances resilience, insurance savings, talent retention.
- Builds stakeholder trust, supply-chain competitiveness.
- Voluntary but strategic for high-risk sectors.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits (6-12 months typical).
- Applicable to all sizes/sectors; focuses on leadership, worker engagement.
- Involves training, documented information, internal audits, management reviews.
ISO 17025 Details
What It Is
ISO/IEC 17025:2017, titled "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories," is an international accreditation standard. It demonstrates labs' competence, impartiality, and consistent operation for technically valid results. Adopts a risk-based, performance-oriented approach with eight structural elements.
Key Components
- **GeneralImpartiality, confidentiality.
- **StructuralOrganization, leadership.
- **ResourcesPersonnel competence, facilities, equipment, traceability.
- **ProcessesMethods, sampling, uncertainty, reporting.
- **Management systemOption A/B, audits, reviews. Core on metrological traceability, method validation; ILAC-recognized accreditation.
Why Organizations Use It
- Ensures global result acceptance, regulatory compliance.
- Mitigates invalid data risks in safety-critical decisions.
- Builds trust, enables market access, competitive edge.
- Improves efficiency via systematic controls.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: Gap analysis, documentation, training, validation, internal audits.
- Suits all lab sizes/industries worldwide.
- Requires accreditation body assessments, witnessed testing. (178 words)
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 45001 | ISO 17025 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Occupational health & safety management systems | Testing & calibration laboratory competence |
| Industry | All sectors, high-risk industries emphasized | Testing labs across industries, manufacturing focus |
| Nature | Voluntary management system certification | Laboratory accreditation for technical competence |
| Testing | Internal audits, management reviews, performance monitoring | Proficiency testing, witnessed technical assessments |
| Penalties | Loss of certification, no legal penalties | Loss of accreditation, rejected test results |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 45001 and ISO 17025
ISO 45001 FAQ
ISO 17025 FAQ
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