ISO 45001
International standard for occupational health and safety management
SOC 2
AICPA framework for service organization security controls
Quick Verdict
ISO 45001 provides global OH&S management for all industries, emphasizing worker safety and leadership. SOC 2 offers data security attestation for tech services via trust criteria. Companies adopt ISO 45001 for safety certification, SOC 2 to win enterprise trust and sales.
ISO 45001
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems
Key Features
- Leadership accountability with worker participation
- Risk-based planning for hazards and opportunities
- Hierarchy of controls prioritizing hazard elimination
- Annex SL structure for integrated management systems
- PDCA cycle driving continual OH&S improvement
SOC 2
System and Organization Controls 2
Key Features
- Trust Services Criteria with mandatory Security
- Type 2 operational effectiveness over 3-12 months
- Tailored scoping for service organizations
- Independent CPA audit and attestation
- Overlaps with ISO 27001 and GDPR
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, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach aligned with Annex SL for integration with other ISO standards like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Key Components
- Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.
- Emphasizes hierarchy of controls, worker participation, and documented information.
- No fixed controls; scalable requirements with certification via accredited bodies.
Why Organizations Use It
- Reduces incidents, legal risks, and costs; enhances resilience and insurance savings.
- Builds stakeholder trust, supports ESG reporting, and provides market differentiation.
- Drives culture change through leadership accountability.
Implementation Overview
- Phased approach: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits, certification.
- Applicable to all sizes/sectors; 6-12 months typical for mid-size firms.
SOC 2 Details
What It Is
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a voluntary audit framework developed by the AICPA to evaluate service organizations' controls over customer data. It focuses on Trust Services Criteria (TSC)—security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy—using a risk-based, control-oriented approach for non-financial reporting.
Key Components
- Five **TSCMandatory Security (CC1-CC9 common criteria) plus optional Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, Privacy.
- ~50-100 controls mapped to TSC, emphasizing access (CC6), monitoring (CC4), risk assessment (CC3).
- Built on COSO principles; two report types: Type 1 (design) and Type 2 (operating effectiveness over 3-12 months).
- Independent CPA attestation with unqualified opinions ideal.
Why Organizations Use It
Drives enterprise sales by streamlining due diligence, reducing CAC 20-50%, building trust moats. Mitigates breach risks ($1M+ liabilities), enhances resilience (99.99% uptime). Voluntary but market-mandated for SaaS/cloud; overlaps 80% with ISO 27001/GDPR.
Implementation Overview
Phased: scoping/gap analysis (2-8 weeks), control deployment/monitoring (3-6 months), CPA audit. Targets SaaS/fintech (10-500+ employees); automation (Vanta) cuts effort 70%. Annual Type 2 recertification.
Key Differences
| Aspect | ISO 45001 | SOC 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Occupational health & safety management | Data security & trust services criteria |
| Industry | All sectors worldwide, scalable sizes | Tech/SaaS/cloud services, any size |
| Nature | Voluntary ISO certification standard | Voluntary AICPA attestation report |
| Testing | Internal audits, management reviews | CPA Type 1/2 audits over period |
| Penalties | Loss of certification, no fines | No penalties, lost business trust |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about ISO 45001 and SOC 2
ISO 45001 FAQ
SOC 2 FAQ
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