What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for healthy and safe work, published in 2018 as the successor to OHSAS 18001. The standard helps organisations manage occupational risks, prevent accidents and create a safe working environment. Unlike VCA, which is mainly used in the Benelux, ISO 45001 is recognised worldwide.
The standard was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) . In the Netherlands, it is published by NEN as NEN-ISO 45001, in full NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2018. The names ISO 45001, NEN-ISO 45001 and ISO 45001:2018 all refer to the same standard. For what changed compared with OHSAS 18001, read the migration page.
The full name is NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2018 - Management systems for occupational health and safety. In practice, everyone just says ISO 45001.
ISO 45001 at a glance
| What is it? | International standard for occupational safety and healthy work |
| For whom? | Any organisation that wants to assure safety |
| Mandatory? | Not by law, but often requested in tenders |
| Validity | 3 years, with annual surveillance audits |
| Costs | €5,000 - €25,000+ (depending on company size) |
| Lead time | 4-12 months |
Why ISO 45001?
Organisations choose this certification for different reasons. The motivation is often a mix of internal and external factors.
Clients and principals ask for it
In tenders, especially in industry and at large companies, proof of occupational safety is increasingly requested. ISO 45001 is then a recognised alternative to, or addition to, VCA. For international principals, it is often even preferred, because they do not know VCA.
An engineering firm that wants to work for multinationals finds that ISO 45001 opens doors that stay closed with VCA alone. The standard is known worldwide. VCA is not.
Fewer accidents and absence
A well-functioning OH&S management system leads to fewer accidents and occupational diseases. That means less human suffering, but also less absence and lower costs. The systematic approach of ISO 45001 helps you identify risks before something goes wrong.
Structure in your safety approach
Many organisations do a lot for safety but lack an overview. Where are the biggest risks? Which measures work? How do you make sure improvements stick? ISO 45001 provides a framework to get a grip on these questions.
Labour Authority
The Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) supervises compliance with the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) . Organisations with an ISO 45001 certificate show that they take their OH&S matters seriously. Certification does not provide immunity, but it can lead to less intensive supervision.
The G&VW management system
ISO 45001 is about setting up a management system for health and safety at work, abbreviated as the G&VW management system. This is not a software package, but a systematic way of working.
The system describes how you identify hazards, assess risks, take measures and check whether those measures work. The well-known PDCA cycle forms the basis: Plan, Do, Check, Act. You plan what you will do, carry it out, check the result and adjust where needed.
This sounds abstract, but in practice it means, for example, that you have a procedure for reporting near misses, that you carry out workplace inspections regularly, that you record training and that management discusses safety performance periodically.
The structure: High Level Structure
Like ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001, ISO 45001 follows the High Level Structure (HLS) . This means that all modern ISO management system standards have the same structure.
| Chapter | Topic |
|---|---|
| 4 | Context of the organisation |
| 5 | Leadership and worker participation |
| 6 | Planning |
| 7 | Support |
| 8 | Operation |
| 9 | Performance evaluation |
| 10 | Improvement |
The big advantage: if you already have another ISO certificate, the step to ISO 45001 is smaller. You can reuse many elements, such as document control, internal audits and management review.
ISO 45001 vs VCA
In the Netherlands, VCA is the best-known certification for occupational safety, especially in construction and industry. What is the difference with ISO 45001?
| Aspect | ISO 45001 | VCA |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Management system | Checklist |
| Focus | What you must arrange | How you must do it |
| Recognition | Worldwide | Benelux |
| Sector | All sectors | Construction, industry, technical services |
| Structure | HLS (10 chapters) | Own structure |
| RI&E | OH&S RI&E (risk inventory and evaluation) required | Safety, health and environment (VGM) RI&E required |
The choice depends on your situation. Do you work as a subcontractor in construction or petrochemicals? Then VCA is often mandatory. Are you a manufacturing company or engineering firm that works internationally? Then ISO 45001 offers more. Some organisations have both.
Read more about the differences between ISO 45001 and VCA.
Who is ISO 45001 for?
The standard can be applied to any organisation, regardless of size or sector. In practice, you see certification mostly at:
Manufacturing companies where physical risks are present, such as machines, hazardous substances or heavy loads. The standard helps you look systematically at all workplace risks. Read how this works for ISO 45001 in manufacturing companies and ISO 45001 in construction.
Engineering firms and consultancies that work for industrial principals. The certificate shows that you take safety seriously, even though the risks in an office are more limited.
Facility service providers such as cleaning companies, security and catering. Their employees often work on client sites, which brings its own safety challenges.
Government organisations and care institutions that want to professionalise their OH&S care and make it demonstrable.
A small company with few risks? Then ISO 45001 may be overkill. The standard asks for a complete management system, which can be disproportionate work for an office with five employees. In that case, first check whether your RI&E is in order.
What does ISO 45001 certification cost?
The costs depend on your company size, the complexity of your work and how much you have already arranged.
| Company size | Indicative total cost in year one |
|---|---|
| Small (1-25 employees) | €5,000 - €12,000 |
| Medium (25-100 employees) | €12,000 - €25,000 |
| Large (100+ employees) | €25,000 - €50,000+ |
This covers consultancy costs, internal hours, the certification audit and any changes to your processes. After the first year, there are annual costs for surveillance audits and maintenance.
Read more about the costs and timeline.
How long does the process take?
The lead time varies, but expect:
- Small company with a good basis: 4-6 months
- Medium-sized company: 6-9 months
- Large or complex company: 9-12 months
If you already have ISO 9001 or ISO 14001, it can go faster. The HLS structure means you can reuse a lot. You do need to set up the OH&S-specific part from scratch.
Combining ISO 45001 with other standards
Many organisations combine ISO 45001 with other certifications in an integrated management system. The High Level Structure makes this relatively simple.
The most common combinations are ISO 9001 for quality with ISO 45001 for occupational safety, ISO 14001 for environment with ISO 45001, or all three together in a KAM system: Kwaliteit (quality), Arbo (OH&S) and Milieu (environment).
The benefits of combining are considerable. You set up many elements only once, such as document control, internal audits and management reviews. You can combine audits, which saves time and money. And employees only need to learn one system.
Next steps
Sources
- NEN - ISO 45001 standard
- ISO.org - ISO 45001 standard
- SCCM - Certified organisations
- Netherlands Labour Authority