Standard · Current edition: ISO 45001:2018

ISO 45001 Certification

Occupational health and safety management systems

ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S). Certification demonstrates that the organisation identifies hazards, controls risks and involves workers in a system that prevents injuries and ill health.

Current edition
ISO 45001:2018
Intended for
Any organisation, particularly those in construction, manufacturing, energy, transport, mining and services with occupational risks
Certificate validity
3 years, with annual surveillance audits
Integrates with
ISO 9001 · ISO 14001
Overview

What is ISO 45001

ISO 45001:2018 specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety management system and gives guidance for its use, to enable organisations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injury and ill health and by proactively improving OH&S performance.

The standard replaced the OHSAS 18001 specification and follows the high level structure common to ISO management standards. Its distinctive elements are: hazard identification and assessment of OH&S risks and opportunities, the hierarchy of controls, consultation and participation of workers, management of change, control of contractors and emergency preparedness.

ISO 45001 certification is relevant both for genuinely reducing accidents and for demonstrating due diligence towards authorities, insurers, customers and project owners, where OH&S performance is a criterion for selecting contractors.

Who it is for
  • Construction, installation and assembly firms, where project owners impose OH&S requirements on contractors
  • Manufacturing companies with equipment, hazardous substances or high-risk activities
  • Operators in energy, utilities, transport and logistics
  • Organisations with a large workforce or with workers on customer sites
  • Companies that want to reduce absenteeism, accident costs and insurance premiums
Benefits

Benefits of ISO 45001 certification

01

Accident prevention

Hazards are identified systematically and risks are controlled according to the hierarchy of controls.

02

Compliance with OH&S legislation

Legal requirements are identified, evaluated periodically and integrated into operational processes.

03

Qualification for contracts

Meeting the OH&S requirements imposed by project owners and general contractors in the selection of contractors.

04

Worker involvement

Consultation and participation of workers increase the effectiveness of measures and the safety culture.

05

Lower costs

Fewer lost days, disruptions and costs arising from accidents and ill health.

06

Demonstrable due diligence

Records and documented processes demonstrate due diligence to authorities and in the event of incidents.

Structure of the standard

Main requirements of the standard

The standard follows the high level structure (Annex SL) common to ISO management system standards, with its requirements set out in clauses 4 to 10.

  1. Clause 4

    Context of the organisation

    Issues relevant to OH&S, the needs of workers and other interested parties, the scope of the system.

  2. Clause 5

    Leadership and worker participation

    Management commitment, the OH&S policy, responsibilities, consultation and participation of workers.

  3. Clause 6

    Planning

    Hazard identification, assessment of OH&S risks and opportunities, determination of legal and other requirements, OH&S objectives.

  4. Clause 7

    Support

    Resources, competence, awareness, communication and documented information.

  5. Clause 8

    Operation

    Eliminating hazards and reducing risks, management of change, procurement, contractors and outsourcing, emergency preparedness and response.

  6. Clause 9

    Performance evaluation

    Monitoring, measurement, evaluation of compliance, internal audit and management review.

  7. Clause 10

    Improvement

    Incident investigation, handling nonconformities, corrective action and continual improvement.

Edition notes

Amendment 1:2024 on climate change

The organisation must determine whether climate change (for example heat stress, extreme events) is a relevant issue for the OH&S management system.

Replacement of OHSAS 18001

OHSAS 18001 was withdrawn in March 2021. Certificates issued to OHSAS 18001 are no longer valid; ISO 45001:2018 is the only internationally recognised reference standard for the certification of OH&S management systems.

How It Works

The Certification Process

A clear and transparent process, from application to certificate issuance.

  1. 01

    Application and quotation

    Send us your organisation's details and the standard you are aiming for. We review your application and prepare a tailored quotation, including the audit duration and plan.

  2. 02

    Stage 1 audit

    We review your management system documentation and assess how ready your organisation is for the certification audit.

  3. 03

    Stage 2 audit

    The on-site audit checks that the system is implemented and effective against the requirements of the standard.

  4. 04

    Decision and certificate

    The certification committee reviews the audit report and issues the certificate, valid for 3 years.

Maintaining certification

Annual surveillance audits and a recertification audit at the end of the three-year cycle keep your certificate valid without interruption.

Certification Regulations
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about ISO 45001

Can't find the answer you are looking for?

Contact us
Does ISO 45001 replace legal OH&S obligations?
No. National occupational health and safety legislation remains mandatory. ISO 45001 provides the management framework through which the organisation identifies its legal requirements, integrates them into processes and periodically evaluates its compliance. The certification audit also verifies how legal requirements are addressed.
What does worker participation mean in ISO 45001?
The standard requires mechanisms through which workers, at all levels, are consulted and participate in hazard identification, risk assessment, the definition of control measures and incident investigation. Auditors verify that these mechanisms exist and work in practice, not only on paper.
Can ISO 45001 be certified together with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?
Yes. The three standards share a common structure and are frequently certified as an integrated quality-environment-OH&S system, through a combined audit, with a corresponding reduction of the total audit duration.
How are contractors and subcontractors addressed?
ISO 45001 requires the control of procurement and contractors: identifying the hazards generated by contractor activities, OH&S criteria in selection, coordination on site and verification of their compliance with the requirements of the system.
Related standards

Integrated certification

Standards that share the same structure can be implemented as one integrated system and audited together in a single combined audit, reducing total audit time.

Contact

Request a quote for ISO 45001 certification

Tell us a little about your organisation and the standard you are aiming for. We will come back to you with a quotation and a proposed audit schedule as soon as possible.

Working Hours
L-V: 09:00 - 18:00
Contact us