https://committee.iso.org/sites/tc283/home/contact.html
Subject: Proposal for ISO 45001 Revision – Mental Disability and Safety-Critical Role Transparency
To the ISO/TC 283 Committee,
I am writing to request consideration for a revision to ISO 45001 to address a significant safety risk not currently covered with enough clarity: the placement of employees with mental or cognitive disabilities in safety-critical roles without informing team members of functional limitations.
I was nearly involved in a serious safety incident where I was paired with a colleague who had a mental disability that affected task performance. I was not informed of any limitations and trusted the person’s judgment, resulting in a near-accident.
While respecting the importance of medical privacy, I believe ISO 45001 should include language requiring that companies:
Identify functional limitations (not diagnoses) that pose safety risks.
Ensure coworkers are informed when those limitations may impact shared safety responsibilities.
Include mental/cognitive conditions in OHS risk assessments explicitly.
This would help bridge the current gap between inclusion and safety in practice.
Thank you for your consideration.
