ISO 45001 Certification: Occupational Health & Safety

• Obtain the standard:

Get a licensed copy of the relevant standard and familiarize yourself with the requirements to decide if certification/registration to this standard makes good sense for your organization.

• Review available literature and apply digital tools

Explore available literature, guidelines from the standard owners (e.g. ISO/TS 9002 for ISO 9001, ISO 14004 for ISO 14001)   and digital sources and tools that can assist with implementation. Note that as a DNV customer you get access to tailored tools that can assist you.

• Assemble a team and define strategy:

To implement a management system should be a strategic decision for the entire organization. Senior management must be involved in the decision, committed and involved in shaping the system. They decide the business strategy the management system should support. In addition, you need a dedicated team to develop and implement your management system.

• Determine competence needs:

First, your team implementing and maintaining the management system needs a thorough understanding of the chosen standards. Later on, the wider organization needs awareness training. DNV offers a variety of public and in-house courses worldwide that meets your competence training needs at all levels within your organization.

• Review consultant options:

Independent consultants can advise on a workable, realistic, and cost-effective strategy plan for implementation if you do not have this competence or capacity already.

• Develop management system documentation: 

Decide on an appropriate platform for your documented information (e.g. software, process map- or SharePoint-based). The right platform is important to ensure effective management, communication and implementation.

• Determine, manage and document processes:

First identify key processes – what they are, how they work, and how they interact. Each process should have a clear purpose, defined responsibilities, and expected outputs. The level of documented information needed depends on the organization’s size, complexity, and the importance of each process, but must include relevant processes and other documented information needed to deliver on intended outcomes and comply with the chosen standard’s requirements.

• Implement management system:

Clear communication and necessary competence training are essential elements. During the implementation phase, you will work to ensure that your organization is working according to defined and documented processes. Once successful, you can prove system’s compliance and effectiveness.

• Select a certification body/registrar:

Selecting the right certification body/registrar can make a difference throughout your certification journey. DNV offers a trusted partnership approach, a risk-based approach and range of free digital tools that help you manage your certification journey before, during and after the audit.

• Consider a pre-audit gap analysis:

Consider a preliminary evaluation by your certification body/registrar to identify and correct nonconformities before starting the official certification process. The purpose is to identify areas of non-conformance or weaknesses, allowing you to correct these before you begin the official certification process.

ISO 45001 is the international standard on occupational health and safety (OH&S). It provides a structured framework that helps organizations of any size and sector create safer workplaces by identifying hazards, managing risks and opprtunities, and improving overall safety performance. Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the standard focuses on eliminating or minimizing OH&S risks through systematic processes, leadership involvement, and worker participation. When combined with the guideline standard ISO 45003 on psychological health and safety at work, organizations can take a broader approach to safety by also addressing psychological risks.

ISO 45001 certification is an independent, third party confirmation that an organization’s occupational health and safety management system meets the requirements of ISO 45001. Certification is voluntary and is granted after an accredited certification body verifies compliance through an audit. Achieving ISO 45001 certification demonstrates a structured, reliable approach to preventing work related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and provides customers and stakeholders with confidence in the organization’s ability to manage OH&S consistently.

ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 are both international management system standards, but they serve different purposes. ISO 45001 focuses on protecting worker health and safety by managing OH&S risks, while ISO 9001 focuses on ensuring consistent product and service quality through effective quality management processes. Both ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 are built on ISO’s Harmonised Structure (HS), which defines structure for all ISO standards easing integration with other standards.

To become certified, an organization must first implement an occupational health and safety management system that meets the requirements of ISO 45001 and then undergo an audit by an independent, accredited certification body like DNV.  Comprehensive support is provided throughout the process, covering everything from initial training and gap analysis to self‑assessment tools and the certification audit itself DNV also offers IRCA-accredited ISO 45001 courses and dedicated training on ISO 45003, the guideline standard for psychological health and safety at work.