Health and safety catalogue and ISO 45001: how do you use it?
An arbocatalogus (health and safety catalogue) is a document in which employers and employees in a sector agree together how they comply with the Arbowet (Dutch Working Conditions Act) . The law says, for example, that noise exposure must be limited. The catalogue says which measures are common and sufficient in your sector. The government assesses the catalogue against the Beleidsregel arbocatalogi 2019 (Policy Rule on Health and Safety Catalogues 2019) .
For ISO 45001, the catalogue is a useful tool. The standard requires you to know your legal requirements and comply with them. The catalogue translates those requirements into concrete measures for your work. The Arboportaal (Arbo Portal) lists the assessed catalogues. Below you can read how to build it into your RI&E and your management system.
What exactly is a health and safety catalogue?
The policy rule gives an official definition. A health and safety catalogue consists of written agreements between representatives of employers and employees, at national level, in a sector or industry. It sets out measures to prevent or limit occupational risks, and how to comply with the Arbowet through them.
The difference from the law is the level of detail. The law sets goals, the catalogue describes means.
| Arbowet and Arbobesluit (Dutch Working Conditions Decree) | Health and safety catalogue | |
|---|---|---|
| Who drafts it? | The government | Employers and employees in a sector |
| What does it contain? | Performance requirements: what you must achieve | Means requirements: how to achieve it in your sector |
| Is it mandatory? | Yes | Drafting one is not required. Applying one is the easiest route to comply with the law |
| Example | ”Exposure to noise must be limited as far as possible." | "Use saw blades with low-noise teeth and place the saw table outside the work area.” |
Legal status: what does the Netherlands Labour Authority do with it?
An assessed health and safety catalogue carries weight during inspections. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment assesses the catalogue against six criteria in article 3 of the policy rule. The minister then states which legal requirements you meet if you work according to the catalogue.
| What does the policy rule regulate? | Content |
|---|---|
| Assessment (art. 3) | Among other things: the drafters represent employers and employees, the catalogue is freely available, it does not conflict with the law, and the measures are sufficient to comply with the law |
| Form (art. 2) | In Dutch, with the legal article stated for each measure, clearly readable and practical |
| Validity (art. 4) | An assessment is valid for six years; after five years a request for reassessment follows |
| Additional measures (art. 5) | In case of serious risks, the inspector can still require extra measures, even if you follow the catalogue |
| Assessed catalogues (art. 6) | Listed in the annex to the policy rule |
In practice this means: if you work according to an assessed catalogue, you have a strong basis for your position with the Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Netherlands Labour Authority) . If you deviate, you may do so, but you must then demonstrate yourself that your measure works at least as well.
A health and safety catalogue does not replace your RI&E. You remain obliged to identify your own risks. The catalogue helps you choose the measures.
How do you find the health and safety catalogue for your sector?
There is no national website called “arbocatalogus”. You can find the catalogues through two official routes.
| Route | Where | What you find |
|---|---|---|
| Database on the Arboportaal | Arboportaal: health and safety catalogues | A list of assessed catalogues, updated every year |
| Annex to the policy rule | Beleidsregel arbocatalogi 2019 | For each catalogue: the sector, the assessment dates and the legal articles it covers |
The annex lists catalogues for, among others, construction and infrastructure, metal processing and metal-electrical, installation and insulation, painting and property maintenance, the waste sector, childcare and recreation. Each catalogue states which articles of the Arbowet and the Arbobesluit it elaborates. This shows you straight away whether the catalogue covers, for example, noise, physical strain or working at height.
Using a health and safety catalogue in ISO 45001
ISO 45001 requires you to determine your legal and other requirements (clause 6.1.3), choose measures according to the hierarchy of controls (clause 8.1.2) and periodically evaluate whether you comply with the requirements (clause 9.1.2). The health and safety catalogue fits all three places.
| ISO 45001 requirement | How the catalogue helps |
|---|---|
| 6.1.2 Identifying hazards | The catalogue names the typical risks of your sector. Use it as a checklist for your hazard identification. |
| 6.1.3 Determining legal requirements | Include the catalogue in your register of legal requirements, with the articles it covers. |
| 8.1.2 Choosing measures | Choose the measures from the catalogue first. They are assessed and practice-oriented. |
| 9.1.2 Evaluating compliance | Check during your internal audit whether the measures from the catalogue are actually applied. |
Example: register of legal requirements with a health and safety catalogue
A fictional construction company with 40 employees includes its sector’s health and safety catalogue in its register of legal requirements. This is what part of that register looks like:
| Risk | Legal requirement | Implementation according to the health and safety catalogue | Own application | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working at height | Arbobesluit art. 3.16 | Edge protection and scaffolding according to the catalogue | Scaffolding erected by our own certified scaffolders | Workplace inspection, annual internal audit |
| Noise | Arbobesluit art. 6.6-6.11 | Low-noise equipment, hearing protection as a residual measure | Purchasing requirement: low-noise saws | Measurement on new machines |
| Physical strain | Arbobesluit art. 5.2-5.4 | Lifting aids above a certain weight | Vacuum lifter on every construction site | Toolbox talk, observation |
| Silica dust | Arbobesluit chapter 4 | Extraction at source and wet working | All grinders fitted with extraction | Sample check during inspection |
Note: the article numbers in this example are for illustration. In your own register, take over the articles that the catalogue for your sector itself refers to.
Electrical safety also belongs in this register. For articles 3.4 and 3.5 of the Arbobesluit, NEN 3140 is the common way to comply, with written instructions and a periodic NEN 3140 inspection. Use the NEN 3140 checklist to see whether you have that part in order.
Combining the health and safety catalogue and the RI&E: how to approach it
Use the catalogue as a tool for your RI&E, not as a replacement. You make the connection in four steps.
| Step | What you do | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose the right catalogue | Find the catalogue for your sector in the annex to the policy rule and check the assessment date | One or two usable catalogues |
| 2. Compare with your RI&E | Set the risks in the catalogue alongside your RI&E: what are you missing? | Additions to your RI&E |
| 3. Adopt measures | For each risk, choose the measure from the catalogue, or justify why you do something different | Action plan with a reference to the catalogue |
| 4. Embed in your system | Refer to the catalogue in work instructions, toolbox talks and inspections | Demonstrable use at audit |
An example. A painting company finds a measure in its sector catalogue for working with solvent-based paint. The company’s own RI&E did list that risk, but without a concrete measure. The company adopts the measure and adds it to the checklist for workplace inspections.
Health and safety catalogue and VCA
VCA-certified companies can use the health and safety catalogue in the same way. Since VCA 2026/6.1, there is a must-question (1.7) on identifying and complying with relevant SHE legislation (VGM). A health and safety catalogue makes that register more concrete. If you work with both systems, also read ISO 45001 vs VCA.
Common mistakes with the health and safety catalogue
- Using a catalogue whose assessment has expired. Check in the annex to the policy rule whether it is still on the list.
- Only including the link. An auditor wants to see which measures you have introduced yourself, not that you know the catalogue exists.
- Choosing the catalogue of another sector. Use the catalogue that fits the work your employees actually do.
- Assuming the catalogue covers everything. You must assess risks that are not in the catalogue yourself.
Frequently asked questions about the health and safety catalogue
Is a health and safety catalogue mandatory?
A sector is not required to draft one, and you are not required to follow one. You are required to comply with the Arbowet. The catalogue is the most commonly used route to demonstrate that.
How long is a health and safety catalogue valid?
The assessment is valid for six years from the date of the assessment letter. After five years, the drafters receive a request to have the catalogue assessed again.
Is there a health and safety catalogue for every sector?
No. If your sector is not among them, base your measures directly on the Arbowet, your RI&E and good practice. A catalogue from a related sector can serve as inspiration, but it has no assessed status for you.
More information
- RI&E and ISO 45001: the legal basis for your risk assessment
- Requirements of ISO 45001: all clauses explained
- Mandatory documents for ISO 45001: what you must record
- Arboportaal: health and safety catalogues dossier : background from the government