Documented information is an important aspect of the certification audit for ISO standards, and it’s no different when deciding to implement and certify to the ISO45001:2018 standard for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
Whether you’re going for certification or not, having the right documentation is key to a successful management system, so we’ve put together a list of the mandatory documented information required for ISO45001:2018, categorised by documents and records, and we’ve also added some suggested documents too for an enhanced OHSMS. These are also aligned to the clause within the standard that they relate to.
Mandatory documents for ISO45001:2018
The following mandatory documented information is required for certification and categorised by the appropriate clause:
4.3 – Scope of the OH&S management system
5.2 – OH&S Policy
6.1.1 – OH&S process for addressing risks and opportunities
6.1.2.2 – Methodology and criteria for assessment of OH&S risks
6.2.2 – OH&S objectives and plans for achieving them
8.2 – Emergency preparedness and response process
Mandatory records required for ISO45001:2018
The following mandatory records are required for certification:
6.1.1 – OH&S risks and opportunities and actions for addressing them
6.1.3 – Legal and other requirements
7.2 – Evidence of competence
7.4.1 – Evidence of Communication
8.2 – Plans for responding to potential emergency situations
9.1.1 – Results on monitoring, measurement, analysis and performance evaluation
9.1.2 – Compliance Evaluation Result(s)
9.2.2 – Internal Audit Program
9.2.2 – Internal Audits report
9.3 – Results of the Management Review
10.2 – Results of corrective actions and their effectiveness
10.3 – Evidence of the results of continual improvement
Suggested documented information that is often used for ISO45001
Below is a list of documents that will enhance your Occupational Health and Safety Management System and are often used within a typical organisation.
5.4 – Procedure for consultation and participation of workers
6.1.2.1 – Procedure for hazard identification and assessment
7.4.1 – Procedure for communication
7.5 – Procedure for documents and records control
8.1 – Procedure for operational planning and control
8.1.3 – Procedure for change management
9.1.1 – Procedure for monitoring, measurement and analysis
9.1.2 – Procedure for evaluation
9.2 – Procedure for Internal audit
9.3 – Procedure for management review
10.1 – Procedure for incident investigation
10.1 – Procedure for nonconformities and corrective actions
It’s important to note that procedures aren’t mandatory, however we think it is good practice to create procedures to ensure everyone in the business is following the same instructions for consistency.
Creating the ISO45001 documents
There are a number of options organisations use when creating their documents for ISO45001:2018 and this can depend on budgets, timelines and knowledge within the business. Writing documents internally, using a document toolkit or hiring a consultant are the three common ways organisations create their mandatory documentation.
Using a document toolkit (such as the ISO45001 toolkit from CertiKit) can save you time and money whilst still making use of your internal resources. The document toolkit includes a comprehensive set of expertly created pre-written templates and guides, it includes the mandatory information required and also additional documents to assist your ISO45001 implementation so you can get the best out of your Occupational Health & Safety Management System.
