ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) Certification

Suitable for organisations of all sizes, across every sector and geography, ISO 45001 provides a framework for use throughout the supply chain to create a safe workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, supports a healthy workforce and improves business performance. 

Increasingly a regulatory requirement in many countries, ISO 45001 helps organisations demonstrate their internal and external commitment to workplace safety and reinforce their business’ reputation with employees and customers. 

Certification from a globally recognised brand like LRQA gives customers, employees, and stakeholders added confidence that a safe working environment and the health and wellbeing of staff are an organisational priority and provides a robust framework to support: 

A healthy, safe workforce 

ISO 45001 aims to reduce work-related incidents by creating a health and safety culture where employees are encouraged to take an active role. This – underpinned by strong leadership – can help to reduce staff turnover, increase morale, and improve staff retention – as well as making the work environment both safer and healthier. 

Improved productivity 

Understanding risk profiles through a systematic process designed to keep the workforce healthy and safe can reduce absenteeism and staff turnover, leading to increased productivity. 

Compliance and operational excellence 

ISO 45001 provides a clear framework to manage regulatory and legal obligations, giving customers and stakeholders added confidence in an organisation, improving brand reputation and providing a competitive advantage when bidding for contracts. 

By following the best practice principles found in ISO 45001, certification can improve your approach to risk management, provide a clear understanding of the internal and external context of your organisation and make a valuable contribution to overall business effectiveness and performance. 

Easy integration 

ISO 45001 follows the Annex SL framework, the high-level structure for modern ISO Standards. The Annex SL structure ensures consistency and compatibility between the different management system standards and allows for a straightforward and harmonised implementation of multiple standards (integrated management systems). ISO 45001 easily integrates with all new and revised ISO management system standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001. 

The path that your organisation takes to achieve ISO 45001 certification often depends on your business's size, maturity, and existing approach to managing risk, amongst other factors. But the standard process to becoming ISO 45001 certified includes three main steps.  

Stage 1 Audit – document review and planning: Your auditor will review the design and documentation of your management system – in most cases, this is carried out remotely.  

Stage 2 Audit – evaluating your implementation: Your auditor will evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of your existing OHSMS in line with the requirements of ISO 45001. If there are no non-conformities, you’ll receive your certification. This stage can be carried out remotely or on-site.  

Promote your ISO 45001 certification: Your certification demonstrates a commitment to internationally recognised best practices and continual improvement – helping you win new business and meet stakeholder demands. 

If your organisation uses more than one management system, such as Quality (ISO 9001), or Environmental (ISO 14001), LRQA can provide a coordinated assessment and surveillance programme to minimise administration and business disruption. 

Using secure remote technology, we deliver the same high-quality audit services that have previously only been available as an on-site audit. Our ISO 45001 services blend remote and on-site audits to provide unrivalled insight and expertise and a fast and flexible way to maintain your audit schedule whilst reducing the carbon footprint associated with travel and minimising health and safety risks when working in hazardous or hard-to-reach areas. Outcomes are consistent with on-site audits, so the integrity of your audit and accredited certification remains exactly the same. 

Certification costs will depend on the size and complexity of your organisation and the maturity of its existing management system. 

ISO 45001 has ten clauses, which are common to many ISO standards.

Clauses 0 to 3: Introduction, Scope, References, Terms and Definitions  

Clause 4: Context of the organization  

Clause 5: Leadership and commitment  

Clause 6: Planning for the QMS  

Clause 7: Support & resource management  

Clause 8: Operational planning and control  

Clause 9: Performance evaluation  

Clause 10: Improvement actions 

Key OH&S requirements include the context of the organisation (ISO 45001 clause 4), leadership and worker participation (clause 6), risks and opportunities (covered in several clauses), supply chain considerations (primarily clauses 7&8) and improvement (clause 10).

Published in 2021, ISO 45003; 

• Is the first international standard addressing psychological health, safety, and well-being at work, 
• a guidance standard providing recommendations (not requirements), 
• for organisations of any type, size, and in any sector, 
• ISO 45003 can be used as a stand-alone guidance document, 

• and can also be used to guide to help an organisation meet the ISO 45001 requirement to manage the psychological health and safety of workers. 

There are several key differences between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001 but despite these, the overall aim of ISO 45001 remains the same - to drive improvement in occupational health and safety to prevent work–related injury and ill health. The main differences relate to the structure of the standard, leadership engagement, worker participation, and taking a risk-based approach.