ISO TC283 wins ISO standards development award

On 22 September, at the ISO general assembly meeting in Abu Dhabi, ISO TC283, the technical committee responsible for the creation of ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management, was chosen as the winner of the 2022 ISO Lawrence D Eicher (LDE) Award for excellence in creative and innovative services and initiatives.

The prestigious award, inaugurated in 2003, recognises the significant contribution and superior performance of an ISO technical committee (TC) or subcommittee (SC) to the development of ISO International Standards. The CQI has been a liaison organisation to ISO TC283 since its creation, and the work of the CQI and its members in progressing health and safety standards is recognised at both a national and international level. 

The LDE award is named in honour of ISOʼs late Secretary-General, Lawrence D Eicher, whose 16-year tenure at ISO (1986-2002) saw the organisation evolve from an institution with a predominantly technological focus to a market-oriented organisation whose standards are increasingly recognised as bringing, in addition to solutions to technical problems, wider social and economic benefits.

Designed to encourage creative and collaborative working by rewarding the implementation of innovative and efficient processes and solutions, the award is also an opportunity to publicise and share best practice among ISO committees.

Speaking about the achievement, Alexander Woods, CQI Policy Manager and Chair of the CQI Standards Coordination Committee said:

“I congratulate all the members of TC283, including our own CQI representatives, for this achievement along with all those who’ve contributed throughout to producing standards, which help to protect and promote the physical and mental wellbeing of workers wherever they are in the world.”

The criteria for the award are based on effective leadership and committee structure coordination, the use of innovative approaches, proactive project management, effective meeting support, rapid response to emergent issues and active promotion of involvement by developing nations.

TC 283 was created in 2013 with the principal task of creating a global ISO requirements standard for Occupational Health and Safety management systems. In doing so there were significant challenges to overcome, with many relevant interested parties holding different perspectives as to what the scope of the standard should be. Patience, tact and diplomacy led to the resolution of these differences and in March 2018, ISO 45001 was published.

ISO 45001 was identified as one of the most important standards to the work of CQI and IRCA members in the 2020-21 CQI Sponsored Standards review and the CQI has been a key participant in the development of this standard from its inception. A CQI nominated representative sits on the main TC 283 committee, as well as TG1 Communications, WG3 Implementation of ISO 45001, WG4 OH&S Performance Evaluation, WG5 Infectious diseases. Members’ comments arising from surveys and policy direction resulting from the work of the CQI Standards Coordination Committee are fed back into these panels.

The CQI’s report ‘ISO 45001:2018 - Understanding the International Standard’ provides details about the work of TC 283, and takes an in-depth look at the seminal standard on occupational health and safety, for management systems and audit professionals.