Standards Comparison

    ITIL

    Voluntary
    2019

    Global framework for IT service management best practices

    VS

    ISO 45001

    Voluntary
    2018

    International standard for occupational health and safety management systems.

    Quick Verdict

    ITIL provides best practices for IT service management, aligning IT with business via 34 practices and SVS. ISO 45001 establishes OHSMS for preventing injuries through risk controls, leadership, and PDCA. Companies adopt ITIL for efficiency, ISO 45001 for safety compliance.

    IT Service Management

    ITIL

    ITIL 4 IT Service Management Framework

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

    Key Features

    • Service Value System (SVS) transforms demand into value
    • 34 flexible practices across general, service, technical management
    • Seven guiding principles focus on value and iteration
    • Four dimensions ensure holistic organizations, tech, partners, processes
    • Continual improvement model embeds ongoing enhancements everywhere
    Occupational Health & Safety

    ISO 45001

    ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

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

    Key Features

    • Leadership accountability and worker participation requirements
    • Risk-based planning with hierarchy of controls
    • Annex SL alignment for integrated management systems
    • Operational controls for contractors and change management
    • PDCA-driven performance evaluation and continual improvement

    Detailed Analysis

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

    ITIL Details

    What It Is

    ITIL 4, the leading framework for IT Service Management (ITSM), provides best-practice guidelines to align IT services with business objectives. Its value-driven approach uses the Service Value System (SVS) to manage the full service lifecycle from strategy to continual improvement.

    Key Components

    • SVS core: guiding principles, governance, service value chain, 34 practices, continual improvement.
    • 34 practices in general (14), service (17), technical (3) management.
    • Seven guiding principles (e.g., focus on value, progress iteratively).
    • **Four dimensionsorganizations/people, information/technology, partners/suppliers, value streams/processes.
    • Certification via PeopleCert (Foundation to Strategic Leader).

    Why Organizations Use It

    Drives cost efficiencies, 87% adoption, risk reduction (e.g., $3M breaches), improved satisfaction/20% faster resolutions. Enables DevOps/Agile integration, boosts careers, builds common language for stakeholder trust.

    Implementation Overview

    Phased 10-step roadmap: assessment, gap analysis, tailoring, training. Suits all sizes/industries; voluntary with pilots for SMEs. Focus high-ROI practices like incident/change management.

    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 cycle approach aligned with Annex SL for integration with other ISO standards.

    Key Components

    • Clauses 4–10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.
    • Emphasizes hierarchy of controls, worker participation, and contractor management.
    • Built on PDCA and high-level structure; certification via third-party audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Drives incident reduction, regulatory compliance, and cost savings.
    • Enhances resilience, reputation, and supply-chain competitiveness.
    • Builds stakeholder trust through leadership accountability and measurable KPIs.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls, audits, certification.
    • Scalable for all sizes/sectors; 6-12 months typical; requires training, audits.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ITIL
    IT Service Management best practices
    ISO 45001
    Occupational health & safety management

    Industry

    ITIL
    IT organizations worldwide, all sizes
    ISO 45001
    All industries/sectors, all sizes globally

    Nature

    ITIL
    Voluntary best-practice framework
    ISO 45001
    Voluntary certification standard

    Testing

    ITIL
    Internal audits, continual improvement
    ISO 45001
    Internal audits, management reviews

    Penalties

    ITIL
    No legal penalties, certification loss
    ISO 45001
    No legal penalties, certification loss

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ITIL and ISO 45001

    ITIL FAQ

    ISO 45001 FAQ

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