The International Standard for Occupational Health & Safety Management has been eagerly awaited as an update and replacement to OHSAS 18001, but suffered a setback in May 2016 when the first draft was rejected by ISO Members.
The Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) was finally released on 30th November 2017 and the ballot period opened for ISO Members to vote.
The FDIS needs over 66% of votes in favour and less than 25% against in order to proceed to publication.
The ballot period closes on 25th January 2018, paving the way for a late February or Early March 2018 publication.
ISO 45001 Transition Process
It seems likely the standard will achieve the votes it needs to be published in early 2018, after which Certification Bodies will need to undergo the accreditation process with UKAS before issuing accredited certificates.
The transition between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001 provides an additional complication, as despite their similarities, they are completely different standards. ISO 45001 is not a new version of OHSAS 18001 – which was always ‘only’ a British Standard.
This means accredited certification will likely appear later in the year.
Prepare for ISO 45001
Although organisations won’t be able to certify immediately, there are still steps they can take to prepare for and begin implementing ISO 45001.
- Download the Draft Standard.
- New to Standards? Contact Assent for Help.
- Already Have OHSAS 18001? Download the BSI Mapping Guide.
- Have Other Standards? Download the Assent Mapping Guide.
Stay Up-to-Date with ISO 45001 Progress.
