CSA Z1003 explained: what the Standard asks, what’s voluntary, and what’s changing

Published October 25, 2026 · Last reviewed October 25, 2026

CSA Z1003 is Canada’s national standard for psychological health and safety at work, a voluntary framework that asks organizations to manage psychological hazards the way they manage physical ones. This guide explains what the Standard actually requires, which parts are optional, and where its second edition, CSA/ASC Z1003:26, stands as of October 2026. For a quick summary first, see our overview of CSA Z1003 and the 13 workplace factors.

CSA Z1003 explained: the short version

The full title is CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013, Psychological health and safety in the workplace — Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation. People call it “the Standard,” “the Workplace Standard” or just “Z1003.”

Who made it. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) commissioned it. CSA Group and the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) developed it with a volunteer technical committee that included employers, organized labour, service providers, government and specialists.
When. It was launched in January 2013. CSA Group lists the current version as CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2022). It is still the first edition.
What it is. CSA Group describes it as “a voluntary standard that specifies requirements for a documented and systematic approach to develop and sustain a psychologically healthy & safe workplace.”
Who it is for. Clause 1.2 says the Standard “is applicable to any organization,” and the MHCC says it helps organizations “of all sizes, in all sectors.”
Cost. You can download it free from the CSA Group website after filling in a short form.

The Standard’s introduction names three pillars: prevention of harm, promotion of health, and resolution of incidents or concerns. It adds that organizations should “assess needs and address gaps in psychological safety prior to embarking on far reaching health promotion activities.” In plain terms: fix what is hurting people before you launch a wellness campaign.

What the Standard asks: five parts of one system

The core requirement is in clause 4.1: the organization “shall establish, document, implement, and maintain a psychological health and safety management system (PHSMS)” and keep improving it. The system has five elements. If you have worked with a physical safety management system, the shape will look familiar.

1. Commitment, leadership and participation (clause 4.2)

A written policy statement approved by senior management (and the board, where there is one) committing to a systematic approach.
Defined responsibilities and authorities, communicated across the organization.
Real worker participation, with time and resources to take part in planning, training, evaluation and corrective action.
Engagement with the health and safety committee or representative, with identifying details removed from documents used at the committee.
Processes that protect confidentiality and privacy.

2. Planning (clause 4.3)

This is where most of the practical work sits. The organization must keep a documented risk mitigation process that covers hazard identification, eliminating what can be eliminated, assessing the risk of what cannot, preventive and protective measures, and a way to set priorities. Our guide to running a psychosocial hazard assessment walks through that process step by step.

Clause 4.3.4.2 lists 13 workplace factors to assess. Twelve were adapted from Guarding Minds at Work, developed by researchers at Simon Fraser University. The Standard added the thirteenth, protection of physical safety. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety describes the same 13: psychological and social support, organizational culture, clear leadership and expectations, civility and respect, psychological competencies and demands, growth and development, recognition and reward, involvement and influence, workload management, engagement, balance, psychological protection, and protection of physical safety. The list ends with an open item: “other chronic stressors as identified by workers.” Each factor is explained in our article on the 13 psychosocial factors.

Planning also requires a data-gathering process (absenteeism, turnover, disability and assistance-plan use, complaints, surveys and more), attention to diverse groups of workers, documented objectives and targets with owners and timelines, and a system to manage changes such as restructuring or new work arrangements.

3. Implementation (clause 4.4)

Preventive and protective measures in a recommended order of priority: eliminate the hazard, control the risks that remain, then personal protective equipment, response processes and resources for workers who are struggling.
Education, awareness and communication, including about stigma and the supports available.
Competence and training: set expectations for everyone, especially supervisors, managers and worker representatives, “to prevent psychological harm, promote psychological health of workers, and address problems,” and train people to meet them.
Critical event preparedness, both for individuals and for the organization, including training for key responders and chances to debrief.
Procedures for reporting and investigating psychological health and safety incidents, with a focus on system factors first.
Making contractors and other external parties aware of your expectations.

4. Evaluation and corrective action (clause 4.5)

The organization must monitor and measure how the system is doing, run internal audits at planned intervals, and fix non-conformances and poorly controlled hazards. Measures are to be developed in consultation with workers, and assessments “shall be carried out by competent persons.”

5. Management review and continual improvement (clause 5)

The organization holds scheduled management reviews of outcome data and audit findings, then updates policies, objectives and action plans. This closes the loop so the system keeps improving.

What’s voluntary, and what isn’t

Three points help clear this up.

The Standard itself is voluntary. The MHCC’s frequently asked questions put it directly: “It is not a legal framework or regulation.” The Standard’s own legal notice says it was developed for voluntary use. It also tells users to check whether laws, regulations, trade regulations or market conditions make it mandatory in their situation, for example through inspection plans or certification programs.

Inside the Standard, “shall” and “should” mean different things. The terminology section says “shall” expresses a requirement you must meet to comply with the Standard, “should” expresses a recommendation, and “may” expresses an option. The annexes are informative only and “contain no requirements.” So if you choose to follow Z1003, the “shall” clauses are its requirements and the rest is advice. The Preface also says the Standard “can be used for conformity assessment.”

The law still applies either way. One of the Standard’s guiding principles is that applicable legal requirements will be identified and met “as a minimum standard of practice.” In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to have workplace violence and workplace harassment policies and programs, according to the province’s page on mental health in the workplace. Human rights and workplace insurance laws also apply. For the full picture, read what Ontario law requires of employers on mental health.

Note. You do not have to do everything at once. Annex C offers staged implementation models, including a four-level model that runs from awareness, to assessing the current state, to setting goals, to working the plan. Annex D adds scenarios for a small and a large enterprise. The MHCC also points to Assembling the Pieces: An Implementation Guide, created with CSA Group, which is built around four steps: “building the foundation, identifying opportunities, setting objectives, and implementation.”

What’s changing: the second edition, CSA/ASC Z1003:26

A new edition is on the way. The MHCC lists it as “Coming soon” and says CSA Group facilitated the development of the second edition, titled CSA/ASC Z1003:26, Psychological health and safety in the workplace — Prevention, promotion, and guidance. According to the MHCC, the new edition “incorporates emerging evidence, consultations from workers,” reflects lessons from implementation, “clarifies key concepts, strengthens guidance,” and addresses new and evolving issues.

Accessibility Standards Canada is a partner on the new edition. Its standards database says it is “collaborating with CSA group to publish the new edition,” and lists CSA/ASC Z1003 as a draft developed by Accessibility Standards Canada and CSA Group, with a publication date “To be determined.” Note the shorter title: the words “staged implementation” are gone.

As of October 25, 2026, neither page gives a publication date, and neither describes the new clauses in detail. We will not guess at them. What this means for you:

The 2013 edition (R2022) is still the current Standard. Work you do now is not wasted: hazard identification, worker participation, data and review are the backbone of any version.
Do not wait for the new edition to start. A program built on the current one will need updating, not rebuilding.
Sign up for the MHCC’s update list on its Workplace Standard page if you want to hear about publication.
When it is published, compare your documented process against the new text, clause by clause, during your next management review.

How Z1003 relates to ISO 45003

You may also see ISO 45003:2021, an international document published in June 2021. It “gives guidelines for managing psychosocial risk” within an occupational health and safety management system based on ISO 45001. ISO lists it as under its regular review. The two overlap but are not the same: Z1003 is a Canadian standard with “shall” requirements, while ISO 45003 is written as guidelines. For a side-by-side look, see ISO 45003 vs CSA Z1003.

Where training fits

Training is one clause among many. Clause 4.4.6 asks organizations to set expectations for what workers and leaders should be able to do, and to train them. The Standard also expects trained people for critical event response and competent people for assessment and auditing. But no course makes an organization conform to Z1003. Conformance depends on the whole system: leadership, hazard identification, policies, measurement and review.

Bedrock Minds is mapped to every normative clause of the 2013 edition. It builds the skills the Standard expects and supports the people who run your program. The Champion stream is for supervisors, HR, JHSC members and program leads. It covers finding hazards, building the plan and measuring results, and Champions finish with a written 90-day plan for their own organization. On the in-person practical day, small groups rehearse realistic workplace scenes, run a tabletop exercise on a critical event and build a de-identified hazard register. Bedrock Minds is not affiliated with CSA Group or the MHCC, and its certificate of completion does not certify an organization’s conformance.

Give your people a plan they have practised

Bedrock Minds combines online modules with one practical day where staff and leaders rehearse the conversations this article describes. Tell us about your team and we reply within one business day.

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This article is general information, not legal advice.