Don’t forget the London Declaration amendment in ISO 45001

The London Declaration on Climate Action, issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), is a commitment by ISO members to embed climate considerations into the development of standards. This declaration aims to accelerate progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, specifically by promoting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming. 

To support the ISO London Declaration, ISO introduced new requirements last year. These changes apply to several management system standards, including BS EN ISO 9001:2015 and BS EN ISO 45001:2023, and will be included in all new or updated standards.

The goal is to ensure organisations consider how climate change could affect their management systems. Several of my clients have been asked by auditors about this in recent months.

What does this mean for ISO 45001?

Organisations must now assess whether climate change impacts their Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OH&SMS). If it does, they should include it in their risk assessments and take action to manage those risks.

Key Changes:

• Clause 4.1 (Understanding the organization and its context) now requires companies to decide if climate change is a relevant issue.

• This means evaluating hazards like extreme heat, storms, or droughts that could affect worker safety.

What should organisations do?

If climate change is identified as a risk, they must:

• Include it in risk assessments.

• Implement control measures (e.g., providing cooling PPE for extreme heat or securing water supply in droughts).

• Address concerns from workers and other stakeholders (e.g., outdoor employees facing climate-related hazards).