(Guidance on Managing Psychosocial Risks within an OH&S Management System)
1. Course Overview
The ISO 45003 Psychological Health and Safety Lead Implementer Course is designed to equip professionals with the competence to establish, implement, manage, monitor, and continually improve a psychosocial risk management framework aligned with ISO 45003 within an Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OH&S MS).
ISO 45003 provides guidance on managing psychosocial risks as part of an OH&S management system based on ISO 45001. It addresses workplace factors such as stress, burnout, harassment, bullying, job insecurity, work overload, remote work challenges, poor leadership practices, and organizational culture.
This 5-day Lead Implementer course provides practical tools, templates, and implementation strategies to integrate psychological health and safety into organizational processes, governance structures, and risk management systems. Participants will learn how to design policies, conduct psychosocial risk assessments, implement controls, measure performance, and drive continual improvement.
The course also incorporates management system implementation guidance consistent with ISO 19011 (for internal verification) and best practices in organizational development and workplace well-being.
2. Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Interpret the structure and guidance of ISO 45003.
- Integrate psychosocial risk management into ISO 45001-based OH&S systems.
- Establish a psychological health and safety policy.
- Identify psychosocial hazards across different work environments.
- Conduct psychosocial risk assessments using qualitative and quantitative tools.
- Develop and implement appropriate risk controls.
- Promote leadership commitment and worker participation.
- Design communication and awareness programs.
- Monitor, measure, and evaluate psychosocial performance indicators.
- Lead implementation projects and manage change effectively.
3. Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, participants will:
- Design and implement a compliant ISO 45003 framework.
- Develop psychosocial risk registers and treatment plans.
- Align psychological health initiatives with strategic objectives.
- Improve workplace culture and employee engagement.
- Reduce stress-related incidents and absenteeism.
- Enhance organizational resilience and productivity.
- Prepare the organization for internal and external audits.
4. Target Audience
This course is intended for:
- OH&S Managers and Officers
- HR Directors and People & Culture Leaders
- Risk and Compliance Managers
- Organizational Development Professionals
- Corporate Governance and ESG Leaders
- ISO 45001 Implementers and Consultants
- Health & Safety Committee Members
- Mental Health and Well-being Coordinators
- Senior Executives responsible for workplace culture
5. Reference Standards
The course is based on the following standards and guidance documents:
- ISO 45003
- ISO 45001
- International Labour Organization (Workplace Stress Guidelines)
- Applicable national occupational health and labor regulations
6. Course Content (5-Day Lead Implementer Program)
Day 1: Introduction & Context of the Organization
- Evolution of workplace mental health standards
- Overview and structure of ISO 45003
- Integration with ISO 45001
- Understanding psychosocial hazards
- Organizational context and stakeholder analysis
- Leadership commitment and policy development
Workshop: Drafting a Psychological Health & Safety Policy
Day 2: Planning & Risk Assessment
- Identifying psychosocial hazards
- Sources of stress and workplace risk factors
- Risk assessment methodologies
- Worker consultation mechanisms
- Legal and compliance considerations
- Establishing objectives and action plans
Workshop: Developing a Psychosocial Risk Register
Day 3: Implementation & Operational Control
- Designing preventive and protective controls
- Work design and workload management
- Managing bullying, harassment, and violence
- Remote and hybrid workplace risk management
- Training and awareness programs
- Communication strategies
Case Study: Organizational Culture Intervention
Day 4: Performance Evaluation & Improvement
- Monitoring psychosocial KPIs
- Employee surveys and feedback tools
- Incident reporting and investigation
- Internal audits and management review
- Corrective actions and continual improvement
Exercise: Designing a Psychosocial Performance Dashboard
Day 5: Leadership, Change & Certification Preparation
- Change management strategies
- Overcoming resistance
- Aligning with ESG and sustainability goals
- Documentation and record-keeping
- Implementation roadmap development
- Final examination and practical assessment
Capstone Project: Develop an ISO 45003 Implementation Plan
7. Training Methodologies
The course uses a highly practical, implementation-focused approach:
- Instructor-led sessions
- Clause-by-clause interpretation
- Interactive discussions
- Real-world case studies
- Risk assessment workshops
- Policy and procedure drafting exercises
- Group implementation projects
- Templates and toolkits
- Implementation roadmap design
- Written examination
- Continuous assessment