ISO 45001 OHSMS for Beginners: Terms and Clauses
What an occupational health and safety management system is, the words you must know, how the standard is organised and how to move from beginner to CQI IRCA Lead Auditor.
In this guide
Every workplace has hazards, from a slippery floor in an office to a moving machine in a plant. ISO 45001 gives an organisation a structured way to find those hazards, control them and keep checking that the controls work.
If you are new to the subject, this guide explains the standard in everyday language and shows where a CQI IRCA certified Lead Auditor course fits in.
Quick answer
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems. It aims to prevent work-related injury and ill health and to provide safe and healthy workplaces. Beginners learn its seven requirement clauses, key terms such as hazard and worker, and the hierarchy of controls, then can progress to the CQI IRCA certified ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course.
| Standard | ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems, requirements with guidance for use |
| Purpose | Prevent work-related injury and ill health, and provide safe and healthy workplaces |
| Structure | Clauses 1 to 3 are introductory, clauses 4 to 10 hold the requirements |
| Method | Plan-Do-Check-Act, with workers consulted throughout |
| Next step | CQI IRCA certified ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course |
What is ISO 45001 and what is it for?
The standard describes what an organisation has to do to manage its occupational health and safety. An organisation is responsible for the health and safety of its workers and of others who can be affected by what it does, and that includes physical and mental health.
An OH&S management system is a framework for managing risks and opportunities. When it works, hazards are eliminated or reduced, performance improves and the organisation finds it easier to meet legal and other requirements. ISO 45001 also follows the common structure used by other ISO management system standards, so it can sit alongside quality and environmental systems.
The standard is clear about one limit: adopting it does not by itself guarantee that injuries and ill health will be prevented. It depends on leadership, commitment and the participation of people at every level.
Which key terms should an ISO 45001 beginner know?
| Term | Meaning in ISO 45001 |
|---|---|
| Worker | Anyone doing work or work-related activities under the organisation’s control, paid or unpaid, including top management |
| Hazard | A source with a potential to cause injury and ill health |
| OH&S risk | The combination of how likely a hazardous event or exposure is and how severe the resulting harm could be |
| OH&S opportunity | A circumstance that can lead to better OH&S performance |
| Hierarchy of controls | The ranked order of measures for removing hazards and reducing risk, from most to least effective |
Notice that “worker” is much wider than “employee”. Contractors, temporary staff and volunteers can all fall inside the system, depending on the organisation’s control over their work.
How is ISO 45001 organised?
The requirements are in clauses 4 to 10. You can read them as a journey from understanding the organisation to improving it.
| Clause | Title | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Context of the organization | Understand the organisation, its workers’ needs and the scope of the system |
| 5 | Leadership and worker participation | Top management leads, sets the policy and involves workers |
| 6 | Planning | Identify hazards, assess risks and set objectives |
| 7 | Support | Provide resources, competence, awareness, communication and documents |
| 8 | Operation | Control hazards day to day and prepare for emergencies |
| 9 | Performance evaluation | Monitor, measure, audit internally and review |
| 10 | Improvement | Deal with incidents and nonconformities and keep improving |
Hierarchy of controls explorer
ISO 45001 clause 8.1.2 ranks controls from most to least effective. Pick a hazard to see an example at each level.
| Level | Example control |
|---|---|
| 1. Eliminate the hazard | x |
| 2. Substitute | x |
| 3. Engineering controls and reorganisation of work | x |
| 4. Administrative controls, including training | x |
| 5. Personal protective equipment | x |
The five levels come from ISO 45001. The examples are only illustrations. Work from the top down and use PPE when the other levels cannot remove the risk.
Who needs to understand ISO 45001?
Anyone whose work touches health and safety benefits, but some roles use it daily.
- Health and safety officers and managers who build and run the system.
- Operations and site managers who own the hazards in their area.
- Internal auditors who check that the system does what it claims.
- Consultants and certification auditors who assess other organisations.
- Top management, because the standard makes leadership and worker participation core requirements.
How do you go from ISO 45001 beginner to Lead Auditor?
Understanding the standard is the first step. The CQI IRCA certified ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course, which 3FOLD Training delivers as a 40-hour live online programme, then teaches you how to plan, conduct, report and follow up an OH&S management system audit. You work through realistic audit exercises with a trainer, sit an online exam and, if you pass, receive a Certificate of Achievement.
The course meets the training requirement for CQI IRCA OHSMS auditor certification, but the grades also ask for audit experience. Our guide to CQI IRCA explains the grades, and the CQI IRCA ISO 45001 Lead Auditor exam page covers the online exam. You can confirm 3FOLD on its CQI IRCA Approved Training Partner profile.
Ready to train as an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor?
See the live batches and current fee.
Questions first? Use the course enquiry form, write to online@3foldtraining.com or message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions about ISO 45001 for beginners
What is ISO 45001 in simple terms?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. It helps an organisation prevent work-related injury and ill health and provide safe and healthy workplaces.
How many clauses are in ISO 45001?
ISO 45001:2018 has ten clauses. Clauses 1 to 3 cover scope, references and definitions, and clauses 4 to 10 contain the requirements: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement.
What is the hierarchy of controls in ISO 45001?
The ISO 45001 hierarchy of controls ranks measures from most to least effective: eliminate the hazard, substitute, use engineering controls and reorganisation of work, use administrative controls including training, and use personal protective equipment.
Who counts as a worker in ISO 45001?
In ISO 45001, a worker is anyone performing work or work-related activities under the organisation’s control, whether paid or unpaid, regular or temporary, and including top management.
Do you need experience to start ISO 45001 training as a beginner?
Beginners can start learning ISO 45001 without audit experience. For the Lead Auditor course, a working knowledge of occupational health and safety helps, and audit experience is needed later for CQI IRCA auditor grades.
Is the ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course CQI IRCA certified?
Yes. 3FOLD Training delivers the CQI IRCA certified ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course as 40 hours of live online training, and awards a Certificate of Achievement to learners who pass the exam.
2 comments
Leave your reply.