23. Mar 2026

Sustainability, well-being, and climate change as new priorities in modern occupational safety and health

ISO 45001: Where the family of standards is headed

The revision of ISO 45001 is in full swing—and at the same time, a whole family of supplementary guidelines is emerging around the standard. Topics such as well-being, climate change, remote work, and leadership clearly demonstrate that occupational health and safety is increasingly becoming a strategic and sustainable management issue. The revised ISO 45001 is currently scheduled for publication in May 2027.

From Accident Prevention to Holistic Health

The upcoming ISO 45001 standard will place greater emphasis on “work-related well-being.” This means that, in addition to traditional accident prevention, the physical, mental, and social health of employees will increasingly take center stage. Psychosocial risks, aspects of work organization, and mental stress will be given significantly greater consideration in the future.

New World of Work, New Risks

The revision also responds to the profound changes in the world of work. Remote work, platform work, digitalization, automation—such as through human-machine interaction—and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) open up new opportunities but also bring new hazards. At the same time, diversity and the individual needs of employees are gaining in importance. Different perspectives are increasingly recognized as a valuable contribution to greater safety and health in the workplace.

Safety culture as a leadership responsibility

Another focus of further development is safety culture. In the future, occupational safety and health should be supported even more strongly by top management and understood as an integral part of corporate culture. Topics such as employee participation, prevention, and systems thinking will thus come even more into focus.

Climate change becomes an occupational safety issue

ISO 45007, published in January 2026, also addresses another key issue: the impact of climate change on occupational safety and health. The standard helps organizations systematically incorporate climate-related risks—such as heat stress, extreme weather events, or poor air quality—into their occupational health and safety management systems. This makes it clear that climate change is no longer just an environmental issue, but also a key concern for occupational health and safety.

A Growing Family of Standards

At the same time, additional guidelines are being developed to support organizations in practical implementation and address current trends in the world of work. The goal is to assist companies in implementing a modern, people-centered, and sustainable safety strategy.

These include, for example:

ISO 45008 – Guidance on remote work (Publication planned: May 2026)
ISO 45009 – Leadership and governance (Publication planned: March 2027)
ISO 45010 – Menstrual health and menopause (Publication planned: March 2027)

Conclusion

The ISO 45001 family of standards clearly illustrates the direction in which modern occupational health and safety systems are evolving: preventive, people-centered, and closely linked to sustainable business management—and thus increasingly becoming a strategic management tool.

Particularly significant benefits arise when management systems are not viewed in isolation but are managed collectively within the framework of an integrated management system. Such a holistic approach enables organizations to leverage synergies, manage risks more comprehensively, and effectively implement sustainable improvements.

This makes it clear: forward-thinking organizations do not view occupational health and safety in isolation, but as an integral part of modern and sustainable corporate governance.

If you have any questions regarding the revision of ISO 45001, new developments in the ISO 45000 family of standards, or implementation within your organization, we are of course always happy to assist you.