Standards Comparison

    ISO 45001

    Voluntary
    2018

    International standard for occupational health and safety management

    VS

    MAS TRM

    Mandatory
    2021

    Singapore guidelines for financial technology risk management

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 45001 provides global OH&S management for all industries, while MAS TRM enforces technology risk controls for Singapore FIs. Companies adopt ISO 45001 for safety certification and integration; MAS TRM to meet supervisory expectations and avoid fines.

    Occupational Health & Safety

    ISO 45001

    ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

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

    Key Features

    • Top management accountability and worker participation
    • Annex SL alignment for integrated management systems
    • Hierarchy of controls prioritizing hazard elimination
    • Risk-based planning addressing risks and opportunities
    • PDCA cycle for continual improvement
    Technology Risk Management

    MAS TRM

    MAS Technology Risk Management Guidelines 2021

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

    Key Features

    • Board and senior management accountability
    • Proportionality based on risk and complexity
    • Third-party and supply chain oversight
    • Cyber resilience with annual penetration testing
    • Integrated ERM and risk register requirements

    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 proactively. Built on Annex SL High-Level Structure (HLS) and PDCA cycle, it uses a risk-based approach.

    Key Components

    • Clauses 4-10: context, leadership/worker participation, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement.
    • Emphasizes hierarchy of controls, worker consultation, change management, contractor controls.
    • No fixed controls; scalable requirements with documented information.
    • Voluntary certification via accredited bodies.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Reduces incidents, legal risks, insurance costs.
    • Enhances resilience, reputation, talent retention.
    • Enables IMS integration with ISO 9001/14001.
    • Meets stakeholder/supply-chain expectations; drives continual improvement.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits, certification.
    • Applies to all sizes/sectors; 6-12 months typical.
    • Involves leadership commitment, training, audits.

    MAS TRM Details

    What It Is

    MAS Technology Risk Management (TRM) Guidelines (January 2021) are supervisory guidelines from the Monetary Authority of Singapore for financial institutions. This risk-based framework promotes robust governance and cyber resilience, covering technology risks across governance, operations, cybersecurity, and third-party management to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

    Key Components

    • 15 core sections on governance, asset management, SDLC, IT services, resilience, access controls, cryptography, data security, cyber operations, testing, and audit.
    • Emphasizes board accountability, proportionality, defence-in-depth, and continuous improvement.
    • No fixed controls; compliance via supervisory review, not certification.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for MAS-regulated FIs to avoid fines, license actions.
    • Enhances operational resilience, reduces cyber threats, integrates with ERM.
    • Builds stakeholder trust, enables digital innovation safely.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: governance setup, asset inventory, risk assessment, control deployment, testing.
    • Targets banks, insurers, fintechs in Singapore; scales by size/risk.
    • Requires board-approved strategy, independent assurance; no formal certification.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 45001
    Occupational health & safety management systems
    MAS TRM
    Technology & cyber risk in financial services

    Industry

    ISO 45001
    All industries worldwide, scalable
    MAS TRM
    Singapore financial institutions only

    Nature

    ISO 45001
    Voluntary international certification standard
    MAS TRM
    Supervisory guidelines with enforcement

    Testing

    ISO 45001
    Internal audits, management reviews annually
    MAS TRM
    Annual pen tests, vulnerability scans, exercises

    Penalties

    ISO 45001
    Loss of certification, no legal fines
    MAS TRM
    Fines, license actions, enforcement orders

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 45001 and MAS TRM

    ISO 45001 FAQ

    MAS TRM FAQ

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