ISO 45001
International standard for occupational health and safety management
NIST 800-171
U.S. standard for protecting CUI in nonfederal systems.
Quick Verdict
ISO 45001 provides a voluntary global framework for occupational health and safety management across all industries, while NIST 800-171 mandates security controls for protecting CUI in US federal contractor systems. Organizations adopt ISO 45001 for safety certification and NIST 800-171 for contract compliance.
ISO 45001
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management
Key Features
- Mandates leadership accountability and worker participation
- Aligns with Annex SL for IMS integration
- Enforces hierarchy of controls prioritizing elimination
- Requires proactive risks and opportunities planning
- Drives PDCA continual improvement cycle
NIST 800-171
NIST SP 800-171 Protecting CUI in Nonfederal Systems
Key Features
- Protects CUI confidentiality in nonfederal contractor systems
- 110 requirements across 14 families tailored from 800-53
- Mandates SSP and POA&M for implementation tracking
- Supports CUI enclave scoping to limit compliance scope
- Enforced via DFARS clauses with incident reporting
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, improving OH&S performance through a risk-based, PDCA approach 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, change management.
- Built on PDCA cycle; voluntary certification via accredited bodies.
Why Organizations Use It
- Reduces incidents, legal risks, costs; enhances resilience, reputation.
- Meets stakeholder expectations, supply-chain demands.
- Drives culture shift, competitive edge via certification.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits (6-12 months typical).
- Scalable for all sizes/sectors; requires leadership, training, audits.
NIST 800-171 Details
What It Is
NIST SP 800-171 (Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations) is a U.S. federal framework providing security requirements for safeguarding CUI confidentiality in nonfederal systems. It uses a control-based approach tailored from NIST SP 800-53 Moderate baseline, focusing on nonfederal contractors and supply chains.
Key Components
- 17 families in Rev. 3 (14 in Rev. 2), with ~97-110 requirements emphasizing access control, audit, configuration management.
- Core artifacts: System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M).
- Built on FIPS 200 and SP 800-53; compliance via self-assessment or third-party (e.g., CMMC Level 2).
Why Organizations Use It
- Contractual mandates (e.g., DFARS 252.204-7012 for DoD).
- Reduces breach risk, ensures procurement eligibility, builds stakeholder trust.
- Strategic for supply chain resilience and competitive edge.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: scoping, gap analysis, controls, evidence collection.
- Applies to contractors handling CUI; scalable by size.
- Assessments per SP 800-171A; ongoing monitoring required. (178 words)
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 45001 | NIST 800-171 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Occupational health & safety management | CUI confidentiality in nonfederal systems |
| Industry | All sectors worldwide, scalable | Defense contractors, federal supply chains |
| Nature | Voluntary certification standard | Contractual security requirements |
| Testing | Internal audits, management reviews | Examine/interview/test assessments |
| Penalties | Loss of certification | Contract ineligibility, fines |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 45001 and NIST 800-171
ISO 45001 FAQ
NIST 800-171 FAQ
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