ISO 45003:2021: Managing Psychosocial Risks at Work
ISO 45003 was published in June 2021. It is the first international guidance on managing psychological health and safety within an ISO 45001 management system.
Key points
- ISO 45003:2021 is a guidance standard; organisations are not certified against it.
- It helps apply ISO 45001 to psychosocial hazards such as workload, poor communication and harassment.
- The pandemic and remote working made the subject urgent for many employers.
What psychosocial risk means
Psychosocial hazards arise from how work is organised, from social factors at work, and from the work environment. Examples are excessive workload, unclear roles, lack of control over the work, isolation, job insecurity, bullying and harassment.
How the guidance is used
- Identify psychosocial hazards with workers, using the same process as other hazards
- Assess the risks and set controls, starting with how work is designed
- Train managers to recognise early signs and respond
- Monitor indicators such as absence, turnover and survey results
- Support return to work after ill health
Link to ISO 45001
ISO 45001 already requires organisations to address all work-related hazards, including those that affect mental health. ISO 45003 follows the same clause structure, so its guidance can be added to an existing system without building a separate one.