TS ISO/IEC TS 17021-10

TS ISO/IEC TS 17021-10 is a technical specification focused on the competence of personnel involved in auditing and certifying occupational health and safety management systems. It complements the general requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1 by setting a competency framework for the people who assess OH&S management systems in certification bodies.

How competence is divided

This document identifies three personnel/functions groups: auditors, personnel who review audit reports and make certification decisions, and other personnel. That distinction matters because, in an OH&S management system audit, subject-matter knowledge, auditing skill and decision-making responsibility do not always sit with the same role. In general technical terms, occupational health and safety management systems depend on expertise in hazard identification, risk assessment, operational controls and regulatory awareness.

What it means for OH&S certification

The standard addresses the additional competence expectations needed for a certification body to carry out OH&S audits in a credible way. Its focus is not on how the management system itself is built, but on the knowledge and experience of the people who evaluate it. That helps support consistency in audit findings, the quality of report review and the basis for certification decisions.

• OH&S-specific audit competence for auditors
• Separate competence expectations for report reviewers and certification decision-makers
• Complementary requirements for other personnel involved in OH&S management system certification