How can you achieve ISO 45001 certification?
But what are the key steps that organisations need to take to successfully certify their occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) to the ISO 45001 standard? There are four, and we explain each of them below.
Step 1
For all companies that have already implemented an OHSMS under the Prevention Plan set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the ISO 45001 standard will require them to carry out a detailed analysis of all the procedures used in the company’s preventive management to verify that they meet the requirements established by this standard. Should any of the requirements not be met, the procedures within their management system will need to be adapted to ensure compliance.
Step 2
Once the OHSMS has been adapted, work will begin on implementing the new procedures. To ensure that the implementation is effective, the company must brief and train employees with responsibilities regarding the new procedures so that they are familiar with them and can apply them correctly.
Step 3
Following the implementation of the new OHSMS procedures, once they have been in operation for a period of time (a minimum of three months is recommended), an internal audit will be carried out to provide evidence of compliance. This internal audit serves as preparation for the external certification audit, ensuring that the necessary corrective actions have been established and implemented to resolve any non-conformities identified.
Step 4
This involves conducting an external certification audit of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) to verify compliance with all the requirements of the ISO 45001 standard and the effectiveness of its implementation.
The AENOR Occupational Health and Safety Management System certificate in accordance with the ISO 45001 standard is valid for three years and is subject to the requirement to carry out annual surveillance audits for renewal once this period has expired. Currently, 1,324 certificates have been issued under this standard.