ISO CONSULTING · ISO 45001
ISO 45001 implementation
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. We take you through every step, from gap analysis to a system ready for certification, and design it around how your business actually works.
Why ISO 45001
ISO 45001:2018 sets out what an effective occupational health and safety (OHS) management system looks like. It replaced the older OHSAS 18001 standard, and certification against it is recognised internationally.
For many businesses, the push comes from outside. A major client, a tender or an export customer asks for it. But the real value is inside the business. A well-built ISO 45001 system means you:
- Meet the law. You establish an OHS management system that complies with applicable legislation and eliminates or reduces hazards for employees and anyone else who may be exposed.
- Satisfy stakeholders. Clients, insurers, employees and investors see a recognised standard.
- Live up to your own policy. You can show that what your OHS policy says actually happens on the floor.
- Prove it to others. Certification gives independent proof that your system works.
- Keep improving. The system feeds into the business's financial and operational goals, not just its compliance file.
What's included
- Gap analysis against every clause of ISO 45001 and against South African OHS legislation
- Implementation plan with milestones, owners and a realistic timeline
- Context and leadership: the scope of the system, the OHS policy, roles and responsibilities
- Hazard identification and risk assessment, plus your legal register (compliance obligations)
- Worker consultation and participation, which ISO 45001 places much more emphasis on than OHSAS 18001 did
- Procedures and documented information, kept lean: only what the standard and your business need
- Training and awareness for management, appointees and employees
- Internal audit against the standard, with findings and corrective actions
- Management review support
- Certification audit support: we prepare you and are on hand during the certification body's audit
How it works
- Gap analysis. We assess your current system and operations against ISO 45001 and the law, and identify the critical compliance areas and objectives.
- Design. We design a lean, accurate system that fits your organisation and avoids unnecessary complexity.
- Implement. We build the documents with your team, train people and put the processes into practice.
- Check. We run an internal audit and support your first management review.
- Certify. You appoint an accredited certification body. We prepare your team and support you through the Stage 1 and Stage 2 certification audits.
Our principles: designed around your organisation · a lean system without needless paperwork · the shortest realistic route to a mature system · cost-effective consulting.
Who it's for
- Businesses asked for ISO 45001 by a client, tender or export market
- Companies still working to OHSAS 18001 that need to move to the current standard
- Organisations already certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 that want an integrated management system
- Sites with a basic health and safety system that want a structured framework for improvement
Industries: food and beverage manufacturing · construction · engineering · warehousing and logistics · laboratories
Where ISO 45001 meets South African lawThe Acts and regulations behind this service
ISO 45001 doesn't replace the OHS Act. It gives you a structure for meeting it. Your system must include a legal register and a way of evaluating compliance.
| Law / standard | Section / clause | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 45001:2018 | Clause 5.4 | Consultation and participation of workers. |
| ISO 45001:2018 | Clause 6.1.2 | Hazard identification and assessment of risks and opportunities. |
| ISO 45001:2018 | Clause 6.1.3 | Determining legal requirements and other requirements. |
| ISO 45001:2018 | Clause 9.2 | Internal audits at planned intervals. |
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Section 8 | The employer's general duty to provide a safe workplace. |
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Sections 17 and 19 | Health and safety representatives and committees, which support ISO 45001's worker participation requirements. |
What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems, published in 2018. It sets out how an organisation should identify hazards, manage risks, involve workers, meet legal requirements and keep improving its health and safety performance. It replaced OHSAS 18001 and can be independently certified.
Does BMS issue ISO 45001 certificates?
No. Certificates are issued by independent certification bodies, which in South Africa should be accredited by SANAS. BMS is the implementation consultant: we build the system with you, prepare your team and support you during the certification audits. Keeping consulting and certification separate is a requirement of the ISO system itself.
How long does ISO 45001 implementation take?
It depends on your starting point, the number of sites and how much time your team can give the project. A business with a working system already in place can move faster. We give you a realistic timeline after the gap analysis.
Is ISO 45001 a legal requirement in South Africa?
No. ISO 45001 is voluntary, whereas the OHS Act is the law. In practice, an ISO 45001 system is one of the most structured ways to meet your OHS Act duties, and many clients, tenders and export markets ask for certification as a condition of doing business.
Can ISO 45001 be combined with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?
Yes. All three standards share the same high-level structure, with matching clauses for context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement. That makes it practical to run one integrated management system with shared procedures, audits and management reviews, which saves time and paperwork.
Get in touch
Start with a gap analysis
Find out how far you are from ISO 45001, and what it will take to get there.
- Phone064 549 5312
- Emailinfo@bmsholdings.co.za
- AddressThe Colosseum, First Floor, Century Way, Century City, Cape Town, 7441