ISO 45001:2018 — Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
ISO 45001 is the international standard for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. It helps organizations prevent work-related injury and ill health by identifying hazards, controlling risks, and involving workers in continual safety improvement.
Who needs ISO 45001?
Any employer that wants to reduce workplace incidents and demonstrate a duty of care — especially in higher-risk industries.
How does ISO 45001 certification work?
A Stage 1 and Stage 2 initial audit, a three-year certificate, annual surveillance audits, and recertification in year three.
The structure of ISO 45001
- Clause 4 — Context of the organization
- Clause 5 — Leadership and worker participation
- Clause 6 — Planning (hazard identification, risk and opportunity)
- Clause 7 — Support
- Clause 8 — Operation (operational controls, emergency preparedness)
- Clause 9 — Performance evaluation
- Clause 10 — Improvement (incident investigation, corrective action)
How SWC CRM helps you manage ISO 45001 certification
Hazard and risk evidence in one place
Keep risk assessments, controls, and worker-consultation records in the project evidence library, organized against the ISO 45001 clauses.
Structured safety audits
Run internal and certification audits with a configurable OH&S checklist, capturing evidence against each requirement clause by clause.
Incident and corrective-action loop
Record incidents and nonconformities, assign root-cause analysis and corrective actions, and track them to closure with automatic reminders.
Recurring audits on autopilot
Schedule surveillance audits and recertification automatically so your safety certification stays current across every site.
Manage ISO 45001 certification in one platform
Run ISO 45001 projects, clause-by-clause audits, evidence, and renewals in SWC CRM — fully customizable to your team's workflow.
ISO 45001 certification: frequently asked questions
What replaced OHSAS 18001?
ISO 45001 replaced OHSAS 18001 as the international standard for occupational health and safety management. Organizations certified to OHSAS 18001 were required to migrate to ISO 45001.
Who is responsible for ISO 45001?
Top management holds overall responsibility, but ISO 45001 specifically requires worker participation and consultation. Everyone in the organization has a role in identifying hazards and following controls.
How long does ISO 45001 certification take?
Implementation typically takes three to six months, followed by Stage 1 and Stage 2 certification audits. The timeline depends on organization size, risk profile, and existing safety maturity.
Related standards
New to certification? Start with our step-by-step certification guide or browse the ISO glossary.