END OF ISO 45001 TRANSITION PERIOD 30/09/2021

OHSAS 18001:2007 is now being replaced by ISO 45001:2018.

The transition period for Occupational Health and Safety management OHSAS 18001:2007 to ISO 45001:2018 was extended by 6 months due to the COVID-19 situation and now ends on 30 September 2021.

Accredited certificates according to OHSAS 18001 are not valid after the end of transition period. Certified companies should be aware to make all the necessary occupational health & safety system adjustments in time and note that certificate renewals should be made before the expiry date.

ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System is crucial in order to monitor improve your company’s working conditions and develop a safe working environment.

Main differences between ISO 45001 & OHSAS 18001:

There are multiple differences between the two standards; the main is that ISO 45001 focuses on organization & business environment interaction while OHSAS 18001 concentrated on hazard & internal issues management, below are other key divergences:

  • ISO 45001 is process-based while OHSAS is procedure-based
  • Risks & Opportunities: OHSAS 18001 adopted a reactive approach that concentrated exclusively on risks, while ISO 45001 considers both risks & opportunities and adopts “risk-based thinking” that requires hazard risks to be assessed and mitigated before they cause accidents and injuries
  • Structure: ISO 45001 is based on Annex SL, the new high-level structure on which other ISO management system standards are based – facilitating the implementation of integrated systems
  • Objectives and Performance: ISO 45001 has increased focus on objectives as drivers for improvements and performance evaluation
  • Interested parties: ISO 45001 considers the needs and expectations of workers and interested parties, participation of workers and employee training requirements, while OHSAS 18001 does not
  • Leadership and management commitment: Enhanced focus on top management to be actively involved for the effectiveness of the management system

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