ISO 45001 checklist for your business

ISO 45001:2018 sets the requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. A checklist is only useful if every point ends in a record you can show: a hazard register, a signed policy, the minutes of a safety meeting. A yes without a document behind it does not hold up.

The points below follow clauses 4 to 10 of the standard. Clauses 1 to 3 cover scope, references and terms and need no action from you. Answer each point with yes or no, and note where the evidence is stored.

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These clauses ask whom your business affects and who decides on safety. The responsibility sits with senior management, not with the safety officer alone.

1. 01

   Scope of the system is defined

   Write down which sites, activities and people the system covers. Evidence: a one-page scope statement.

2. 02

   Interested parties are identified

   List workers, temporary staff, contractors, insurers and authorities, with what each expects. Evidence: a simple table.

3. 03

   The policy is signed by management

   It states the commitment to prevent injury and ill health and to consult workers. Evidence: the signed policy, posted where people work.

4. 04

   Roles and responsibilities are assigned

   Named people hold safety duties, including a deputy. Evidence: job descriptions or an organisation chart with safety roles.

5. 05

   Workers are consulted

   Employees take part in hazard assessments and in decisions on safety measures. Evidence: minutes of safety meetings, a named worker representative.

6. 06

   Management takes part itself

   Owners join safety rounds and look at the results. Evidence: dated attendance notes and management review records.

Planning is where the standard turns from reacting to preventing. You find the hazards first, then decide what to do about them.

1. 01

   Hazards are identified for every activity

   Walk through each workplace and task, including non-routine work such as maintenance and cleaning. Evidence: a hazard register with date and owner.

2. 02

   Risks are rated

   Each hazard has a rating for likelihood and severity. Evidence: a risk matrix inside the register.

3. 03

   Legal requirements are known

   You know which safety rules apply to your sector and site and who checks them. Evidence: a list of requirements with a review date.

4. 04

   Objectives are set

   At least one measurable safety objective with an owner and a deadline, for example closing all overdue inspections. Evidence: an objectives sheet.

5. 05

   Competence is proven

   Workers are trained for their tasks and for the hazards they face. Evidence: training records, attendance lists, authorisations for machines and vehicles.

6. 06

   Information is communicated and controlled

   Safety instructions reach workers in a language they understand, and documents carry a version and date. Evidence: notice boards, work instructions, a document list.

The last three clauses test whether the system works in daily practice and whether you learn from what goes wrong.

1. 01

   The hierarchy of controls is applied

   For each significant risk you first try to eliminate it, then substitute, then use technical measures, then organisational rules, and protective equipment last. Evidence: the chosen control recorded in the risk register.

2. 02

   Contractors and purchases are covered

   Rules apply to contractors, visitors and newly bought machinery. Evidence: a contractor briefing record, a purchasing checklist.

3. 03

   Emergencies are planned

   Fire, first aid and other foreseeable emergencies have a plan, named responders and a practised drill. Evidence: the emergency plan and a drill report.

4. 04

   Performance is monitored

   Inspections, incidents and similar indicators are recorded and compared with your objectives. Evidence: inspection logs, an indicator sheet.

5. 05

   An internal audit has taken place

   Someone checks the system against the requirements, ideally a person who does not run the audited area. Evidence: an audit report.

6. 06

   Management reviews the system

   Results, incidents and objectives are discussed at set intervals and actions are decided. Evidence: signed minutes.

7. 07

   Incidents are investigated

   Every accident and near miss gets an investigation, a cause, an action and a check that the action worked. Evidence: incident reports with closed actions.

• How the Zertify process works

Many small businesses already do the work but have no record of it. The table shows where that usually shows up.

The Zertify self-assessment for ISO 45001 has 34 yes/no questions. Fourteen are mandatory requirements of the standard and must all be answered yes. Of the other 20 questions, at least 14 must be yes. If you can tick the checklist above with evidence, you will pass both parts without surprises.

After you pass and pay, the certificate arrives within 4 hours. It is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE, and SICE reviews every assessment before issue. There is no on-site audit. A short online re-audit each year confirms the certificate, and anyone can verify it by number or QR code.

The price is CHF 699 (€699) in the first year, then CHF 469 (€469) per year including the yearly online re-audit. The certificate is valid for 3 years. You can cancel the subscription at any time in your customer account, effective at the end of the paid year.

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