Overview
(Guidance on Managing Psychosocial Risks in Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems)
ISO 45003 is the first international guidance standard for managing psychosocial risks within an Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OH&S MS) based on ISO 45001. It provides practical guidance on identifying, assessing, and controlling psychosocial hazards that can affect workers’ psychological health, well-being, and performance.
This ISO 45003 Psychological Health and Safety Lead Auditor Course equips participants with the competence to plan, conduct, report, and follow up audits of psychosocial risk management processes integrated within an OH&S management system.
The course follows auditing principles aligned with ISO 19011 and where applicable ISO/IEC 17021-1.
Participants will gain a deep understanding of psychosocial hazards such as work overload, harassment, role ambiguity, job insecurity, remote work stressors, organizational culture, and leadership behaviors, and how to evaluate their management during audits.
Day 1: Foundations of Psychological Health & Safety
- Introduction to psychosocial risks
- Evolution of workplace mental health standards
- Structure and clauses of ISO 45003
- Relationship between ISO 45003 and ISO 45001
- Psychosocial hazards and risk factors
- Organizational culture and leadership impact
- Case Study: Workplace stress assessment
Day 2: Psychosocial Risk Management
- Hazard identification techniques
- Risk assessment methodologies
- Worker consultation and participation
- Designing psychosocial controls
- Work design and workload management
- Bullying, harassment, and violence prevention
- Monitoring and performance evaluation
Workshop: Psychosocial risk register development
Day 3: Auditing Principles & Audit Planning
- Audit principles and ethics
- Risk-based auditing
- Audit program management
- Audit scope and objectives
- Preparing audit plans
- Audit checklists for psychosocial risks
- Document review techniques
Exercise: Developing an ISO 45003 audit checklist
Day 4: Conducting the Audit
- Opening meeting techniques
- Interviewing leadership and employees
- Auditing remote and hybrid workplaces
- Evaluating evidence
- Identifying nonconformities
- Grading findings
- Closing meeting presentation
Role-play: Psychosocial audit simulation
Day 5: Reporting & Lead Auditor Competence
- Audit reporting structure
- Writing clear nonconformity statements
- Corrective action evaluation
- Follow-up audits
- Managing audit teams
- Auditor competence and professional development
- Final Examination
- Practical assessment
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the purpose, structure, and intent of ISO 45003.
- Interpret psychosocial risk requirements within ISO 45001-based systems.
- Identify psychosocial hazards and assess organizational risk controls.
- Apply risk-based thinking to psychological health and safety.
- Plan, conduct, and manage first, second, and third-party audits.
- Develop audit checklists tailored to psychosocial risks.
- Evaluate leadership commitment and worker participation in psychological safety.
- Report audit findings clearly and professionally.
- Lead an audit team effectively.
- Conduct follow-up and corrective action verification.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion, participants will:
- Demonstrate competence as a Lead Auditor for ISO 45003 integration within OH&S systems.
- Assess psychosocial risk management frameworks effectively.
- Identify gaps in stress management, bullying prevention, and workload management systems.
- Evaluate organizational culture and communication systems.
- Contribute to improved employee well-being, engagement, and productivity.
- Enhance organizational resilience and legal compliance.
Reference standard
The course is based on the following standards and guidelines:
- ISO 45003
- ISO 45001
- Relevant national labor and occupational health legislation
- ILO guidelines on workplace stress
Target audience
This course is designed for:
- OH&S Managers and Officers
- HR Managers and Organizational Development Professionals
- Compliance and Risk Managers
- Internal and External Auditors
- ISO 45001 Lead Auditors seeking specialization
- Consultants in Occupational Health & Safety
- Mental Health and Workplace Well-being Advisors
- Regulatory Inspectors
- Senior Leaders responsible for governance and workplace culture
Benefits
Detailed information for this section is available from the Cognicert course adviser.
Course content
Training methodologies
The course uses a blended and highly interactive approach:
- Instructor-led presentations
- Clause-by-clause analysis
- Group discussions and peer learning
- Real-world case studies
- Audit simulations and role plays
- Risk assessment workshops
- Practical exercises and checklist development
- Mock audit reporting
- Written examination
- Continuous assessment and feedback