ISO 45001 Training and Certification Guide
Your complete guide to ISO 45001: what the standard is, how personnel and business certification differ, the training levels, and the Exemplar Global Certified courses that take you from Foundation to Lead Auditor.
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS)
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS)
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS)
What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OH&S). It sets out the requirements an organisation follows to provide safe and healthy workplaces, prevent work related injury and ill health, and improve its safety performance over time.
Built on the harmonised high level structure, ISO 45001 applies to any organisation, of any size or sector, and puts workers at the centre through consultation and participation. Certification is awarded by an accredited certification body after a successful audit of the organisation's OH&S management system.
Who ISO 45001 training is for
- WHS and HSE managers responsible for the safety management system
- Safety representatives and health and safety committee members
- Internal auditors and anyone preparing for a certification audit
- Consultants advising clients on ISO 45001
- Professionals moving into a Lead Auditor role
The standard in brief
What ISO 45001 covers
ISO 45001 follows the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle across clauses 4 to 10. Here is what each part covers.
Context of the organisation
Understand your organisation, the workers and other interested parties, and the scope of the OH&S management system.
Leadership
Top management commitment, the OH&S policy, clear roles, and genuine worker participation and consultation.
Planning
Hazard identification, risk assessment, the hierarchy of controls, legal requirements, and OH&S objectives.
Support
Resources, competence to identify hazards, awareness, communication, and documented information.
Operation
Operational controls, management of change, procurement and contractors, and emergency preparedness and response.
Performance evaluation
Monitor and measure OH&S performance, evaluate legal compliance, audit internally, and review the system at management level.
Improvement
Investigate incidents and nonconformities, take corrective action, and continually improve OH&S performance.
Why it matters
Benefits of ISO 45001
What organisations and professionals gain from working to ISO 45001.
- Fewer workplace incidents, injuries, and cases of ill health
- Demonstrated compliance with work health and safety law
- Stronger worker wellbeing, participation, and safety culture
- Lower insurance premiums and reduced lost time costs
- Access to tenders and contracts that require certification
- A cycle of continual improvement in health and safety
Clearing up a common mix up
Personnel certification vs business certification
People often confuse the two. They are different things, earned by different parties, and only one is a person.
Personnel certification
Certifies the individual.
- Earned by a person, not a company
- Recognised by Exemplar Global
- Proves you can audit to the standard
- The path our courses prepare you for
Business certification
Certifies the organisation.
- Earned by a company, not a person
- Issued by a certification body such as Intertek or SAI Global
- Proves the management system conforms to ISO 45001
- Maintained through surveillance audits
Audit Workshop trains and certifies people. We do not certify organisations, we prepare the people who build and audit them.
Organisations are certified to ISO 45001 by accredited certification bodies such as Intertek, SAI Global, BSI, SGS, and DNV, working under accreditation bodies like JAS-ANZ. Audit Workshop trains the people; the certification body certifies the organisation.
Training levels
From Foundation to Lead Auditor
Three levels that build on each other. Start where your experience sits and climb from there.
Foundation
New to the standard
Understand ISO 45001 and how a compliant management system works. The starting point, no prior experience needed.
Internal Auditor
Audit your own organisation
Plan and conduct internal audits following the ISO 19011 auditing guidelines.
Lead Auditor
Lead certification style audits
Audit programme management, Stage 1 and Stage 2, findings, and the certification recommendation.
The auditor's role
What an auditor is responsible for
Auditing is a profession with its own principles. Our courses teach you to work to all of them, guided by ISO 19011.
Integrity
Audit with professionalism, honesty, and responsibility.
Fair presentation
Report findings truthfully, accurately, and clearly.
Due professional care
Apply diligence and sound judgement in every audit.
Confidentiality
Protect the information you access during an audit.
Independence
Stay impartial and objective, free of conflicts of interest.
Evidence based
Reach conclusions from verifiable audit evidence.
Good to know
Common confusions, cleared up
The questions people most often get wrong before they enrol, answered straight.
Is ISO 45001 the same as complying with WHS law?
No. ISO 45001 is a management system standard, not legislation. A certified system helps you meet and evaluate your legal obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act, but certification and legal compliance are separate things.
Is PPE the main way ISO 45001 controls risk?
No. ISO 45001 uses the hierarchy of controls, where personal protective equipment is the last resort. Organisations are expected to eliminate hazards first, then substitute, then apply engineering and administrative controls before relying on PPE.
Is the training accredited?
Audit Workshop is an Exemplar Global Certified Training Provider (RTP No. 310970). The courses are Exemplar Global Certified Training and your certificate carries the Exemplar Global digital badge.
Can I start at Lead Auditor?
Yes, if you are already comfortable with ISO 45001 and health and safety management. If the standard is new to you, start at Foundation and build up through Internal Auditor to Lead Auditor.
From the blog
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about ISO 45001 training and certification.
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