ISO 45000 or ISO 45001? What you need to know

If you search for “ISO 45000”, in practice you probably mean ISO 45001, the standard for healthy and safe work (G&VW, in English OH&S). The ISO overview page for the 45000 family lists ISO 45001:2018, the guideline ISO/PAS 45005:2020 on safe working during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a practical guide for small organisations. It does not list an ISO 45000 standard with certifiable requirements. So you certify against ISO 45001. For the years and editions that apply, read ISO 45001:2018 or NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2023. This page shows you how to recognise the confusion in quotes and requirements.

What is on the ISO page for the 45000 family?

The ISO page on the 45000 family names ISO 45001 as the flagship of the family. The page also refers to three other documents:

Document	Title on the ISO page	What it is
ISO 45001:2018	Occupational health and safety management systems, requirements with guidance for use	The standard with requirements against which you certify
ISO/PAS 45005:2020	General guidelines for safe working during the COVID-19 pandemic	Temporary guideline from the pandemic, not a certification standard
ISO 45001:2018, a practical guide for small organizations	Publication by ISO and UNIDO (the United Nations Industrial Development Organization)	A tool for introducing ISO 45001, not a standard in its own right

Besides that overview page, there is also ISO 45002:2023 (guidance for implementing ISO 45001) and ISO 45003:2021 (guidance on psychosocial risks). Both are guidelines without certifiable requirements. You can read more about the second on ISO 45001 standards: ISO 45003.

The page names OHSAS 18001 and the ILO-OSH guidelines as predecessors of ISO 45001. They do not belong to the family. For the move from OHSAS, read From OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001.

The ISO page does not list a separate “ISO 45000” standard with requirements. We have not found any other source that describes such a standard as a certifiable document either. If there is confusion, ask your principal or certification body which standard they mean.

Why do people search for “ISO 45000”?

There are three possible explanations. These are assumptions, not established facts.

Typo. “ISO 45000” looks like “ISO 45001”. Searchers who do not yet know the standard type the number they have heard.
Family name. Because the standard belongs to the “ISO 45000 family”, some people think ISO 45000 is the overarching standard.
Old or foreign sources. Some articles mix up the terms. Check the full title and the year.

How to check which standard is meant

A quote, a certificate or a principal’s requirement always names a full title. Check four things:

Check	Correct	Wrong or suspicious
Standard number	ISO 45001 or NEN-EN-ISO 45001	ISO 45000 as a certifiable requirement
Year	2018 or 2023 (see versions 2018 and 2023)	No year, or a year that does not exist
Type of document	Requirements with guidance for use	Only the term “45000” without a title
Certification	Certificate from a body accredited for ISO 45001	”ISO 45000 certificate” without proof of accreditation

The standard number alone is not enough. A certificate is only useful if the standard, the scope and the accreditation are all correct.

Example: a quote that mentions “ISO 45000”

Suppose a contractor receives a proposal from a consultancy for “ISO 45000 certification in 4 months”. The proposal does not state a standard version or a certification body.

This is how the proposal should read:


Subject: Certification to ISO 45001:2018 (or NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2023)
Scope: head office and workshop Rotterdam, 42 employees
Certification body: [name], accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) for ISO 45001
Process: gap analysis, implementation, internal audit, certification audit

Ask every quote for the name of the certification body and its accreditation. This prevents you from paying for a certificate that nobody recognises. See also comparing an ISO 45001 quote.

Common mistakes

Writing the standard as “ISO 45000” in your documentation. Auditors ask for the correct standard. Use the full title in your management system.
Offering a certificate for another standard as proof. A VCA certificate or an ISO 9001 certificate is not an ISO 45001 certificate. Read the difference between VCA and ISO 45001 on ISO 45001 vs VCA.
Confusing it with the COVID-19 guideline. ISO/PAS 45005 is about working during a pandemic. It is not a requirements document for certification.
No version in your quote. Without a year, you do not know which requirements apply. We explain the difference between 2018 and 2023 on the versions page.

What you can do now

Search your own documents for “45000”. Replace each reference with ISO 45001:2018 or NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2023.
Ask your certification body which version they audit.
Start with the step-by-step plan if you do not yet know which steps certification involves.

How to explain it to your principal

Sometimes a client or supplier asks for an “ISO 45000 certificate”. You do not want to be rude, but you do want to be precise. A short reply helps:


Thank you for your question. The certifiable standard for occupational safety is ISO 45001,
available in the Netherlands as NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2023. We are certified
(or are working towards certification) to ISO 45001 for the following scope: [scope].
You can verify the certificate with the certification body and in the
RvA register.

This makes clear which standard you mean, without turning it into a debate about terminology. Always ask follow-up questions if the other party names a different standard. Then you know whether it is a typo or a requirement that really differs.

Why the exact standard matters

Standards are often named literally in contracts, tenders and permits. A wrong standard number can mean that a quote does not meet the principal’s requirements. It can also mean that a certificate is not recognised. This is rarely a technical matter. It is about what is written on paper.

That is why it makes sense to use one fixed wording in your own documents. For example: “ISO 45001:2018 (NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2023)”. Use this form in your management manual, your quotes, your website and your internal documents. This prevents someone from accidentally copying a different version.

What you can and cannot say

You may say you work to ISO 45001, even if you are not yet certified. Then also say that the process is under way.
You may not say you are certified on the basis of a consultancy report. Only a certificate from an accredited body counts.
You may not sell an “ISO 45000 certificate” if you cannot have it verified with a body.

For the practice of the process, from gap analysis to audit, see the step-by-step plan. For the costs, see costs and timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Does ISO 45000 exist as a certifiable standard? Not on the official ISO page for the family. The certifiable standard is ISO 45001. That page does not list any other standard with requirements.

Is ISO 45001 the same as the NEN standard? In the Netherlands, the standard is available as NEN-EN-ISO 45001:2023. The content is the same requirements. You can read the exact differences per version on the versions page.

What does it mean if a provider uses “45000”? Ask for the full standard, the version and the name of the accreditation. A serious provider can give these immediately.

Where can I find the requirements of ISO 45001? On the requirements page, per chapter, with explanations.

Sources

ISO: the 45000 family : overview of ISO 45001, ISO/PAS 45005 and the practical guide.
Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA, Dutch Accreditation Council) : to check whether a certification body is accredited.