ISO 14001 is the most recognized international standard for environmental management systems. It is used worldwide. The nature of ISO 14001 allows it to be applied to the complete range of business sectors, scopes, and activities. It provides a framework through which an organization can deliver environmental performance improvement in line with its environmental policy commitments.

ISO 14001 specifies requirements for an organization to proactively identify and understand the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services and associated environmental impacts.

- It assists organizations in establishing environmental policies and objectives and understanding how significant aspects can be managed, implementing necessary controls and setting clear objectives to improve environmental performance.

- It allows an organization to manage its obligation to comply with applicable legal and requirements and other stakeholder obligations and to regularly check the compliance status. This permits a continual improvement of the management system to enhance its environmental performance. 

ISO 14001 is designed to be compatible and harmonized with other recognized management system standards, including ISO 9001. It is therefore ideal for integration into existing management systems and processes.

ISO 45001 applies to any type of organization – large or small – within any business sector. It is based on OHSAS 18001 and other recognized OH&S standards and conventions. It replaced OHSAS 18001 in 2018 as the main international standard; the transition deadline was set to September 2021.

ISO 45001 applies the ISO High Level Structure (HLS), which defines the structure for all ISO standards to ease integration with other generic management system standards. This benefits companies previously certified to standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. 

Based on the well-established management principles of Plan-Do-Check-Act, ISO 45001 requires an organization to:

- identify hazards and assess occupational health and safety risks related to its activities and services;

- determine the necessary controls;

- set clear objectives and targets to improve its OH&S performance.