ISO IEC TS 17021-10-2018 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC TS 17021-10:2018 — Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 10: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of occupational health and safety management systems. This Technical Specification provides OH&S-specific competence requirements that complement ISO/IEC 17021-1 for personnel involved in auditing, reviewing and certification decision-making for occupational health and safety management systems (commonly applied with ISO 45001:2018).

Abstract

ISO/IEC TS 17021-10:2018 specifies additional competence requirements for three categories of certification personnel — auditors, personnel who review audit reports and make certification decisions, and other certification staff — focusing on knowledge and skills specific to occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems, hazards and risk controls, legal and regulatory requirements, consultation and worker participation, and methods used to identify and evaluate OH&S risks. It is intended to be used alongside ISO/IEC 17021-1 and is principally applied when certifying OH&S systems (for example against ISO 45001).

General information

• Status: Published (technical specification; reviewed and confirmed in subsequent review cycle).
• Publication date: March 2018 (Edition 1, 2018-03).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / ISO/CASCO.
• ICS / categories: 03.120.20 (Conformity assessment; certification bodies).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (Technical Specification, 2018).
• Number of pages: 9 pages (concise technical specification).

Scope

This TS provides OH&S-specific competence criteria that supplement the general requirements in ISO/IEC 17021-1. It covers the knowledge and abilities needed by auditors, report reviewers and certification decision-makers to assess occupational health and safety management systems — including understanding of OH&S terminology, hazard identification and risk assessment techniques, hierarchy of controls, emergency preparedness and incident investigation, relevant legal and other requirements, and aspects of worker consultation and participation. The TS is principally intended for use when certifying systems based on ISO 45001 but may be applied to other OH&S certification activities.

Key topics and requirements

• Three personnel categories defined: auditors; personnel reviewing audit reports and making certification decisions; other certification personnel.
• OH&S core knowledge areas: OH&S principles and intended outcomes, hazards and OH&S risks, hierarchy of controls, and methods for hazard identification and risk assessment (examples include task analysis, HAZOP, FMEA as applicable).
• Legal and regulatory competence: understanding workplace health & safety obligations, data privacy for medical information, worker representation and consultation requirements.
• Leadership, worker participation and consultation: ability to evaluate top management commitment, consultation mechanisms and worker involvement.
• Audit team competence: requirement that the audit team’s combined competencies cover the OH&S scope even if individual members do not possess every skill.
• Competence applied to certification decisions and report review: reviewers and decision-makers must have sufficient OH&S knowledge to evaluate audit findings and conclusions.
• Annex material: summary tables and guidance on knowledge areas and typical evidence of competence for personnel categories (concise guidance; TS includes an informative annex).

Typical use and users

Primary users are certification bodies that provide audit and certification of occupational health and safety management systems and accreditation bodies that assess those certification bodies. Additional users include certification personnel (auditors, technical reviewers, certification decision-makers), organizations preparing for OH&S certification, and bodies developing training and competency assessments for OH&S auditors. The TS is used together with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and relevant OH&S management system standards (for example ISO 45001).

Related standards

Key related documents include ISO/IEC 17021-1 (general requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems) and ISO 45001 (Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements). Other related parts of the ISO/IEC 17021 series and sector-specific technical specifications may apply for different management system types (examples: ISO/IEC 17021-2, ISO/IEC 17021-3, ISO/IEC TS 17021-11 and others covering discipline-specific competence needs).

Keywords

OH&S, occupational health and safety, competence, auditor competence, certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17021, ISO 45001, audit team competence, legal requirements, hazard identification, risk assessment.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC TS 17021-10:2018 is a Technical Specification that defines additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification of occupational health and safety management systems; it complements ISO/IEC 17021-1.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers OH&S-specific knowledge and skills for auditors, report reviewers and certification decision-makers — including OH&S terminology, hazard identification and risk assessment methods, hierarchy of controls, emergency preparedness, incident investigation, legal and regulatory understanding, and evaluation of worker participation and leadership commitment.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Certification bodies, accreditation bodies, OH&S auditors and technical reviewers, organizations seeking OH&S certification, and training providers for auditor competence.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The publication date is March 2018 (Edition 1). The TS was reviewed in the ISO review cycle and has been maintained as the current technical specification; users should check with their accreditation body or ISO national body for any later confirmations or revisions relevant to their accreditation scope.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 10 of the ISO/IEC 17021 series (requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems) and is intended to be used alongside Part 1 (general requirements) and other part(s) or technical specifications that provide sector- or discipline-specific competence requirements.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Occupational health and safety, auditor competence, certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17021, ISO 45001, hazard identification, risk assessment, hierarchy of controls, legal requirements, worker participation.