ISO 45001 certification
Is ISO 45001 mandatory?
No. ISO 45001 is a voluntary standard, and you do not need a certificate to run a business. It becomes a requirement in practice when a customer, a tender or a supplier questionnaire asks for proof. If that happens, you can complete the assessment online and receive the certificate within 4 hours after passing and payment.
01: Legal status
Is ISO 45001 mandatory by law?
ISO 45001 is an international standard published by ISO. It is not a law. Holding the certificate is a voluntary proof that you run an occupational health and safety management system.
Workplace safety duties are a separate matter. They come from the national law of the country where your staff work, and they apply whether or not you hold a certificate. This page does not describe those duties. Your safety officer or the competent authority can tell you what applies to your business.
What the standard asks for is a working system: identify hazards, set a policy, involve your workers, plan for emergencies, investigate incidents. The certificate documents that you have done so.
02: In practice
When ISO 45001 becomes required in practice
The pressure rarely comes from an authority. It comes from the people who buy from you.
- Supplier questionnaire
- A large customer sends a form before listing you as a supplier. One line asks whether you hold ISO 45001. If you answer no, a competitor with a certificate is ahead of you.
- Tender
- Some tenders name the certificate as a condition of entry. Others award points for it. Read the selection and award criteria before you decide.
- Customer audit
- A customer visits your site and asks how you manage hazards. A certificate with a verifiable number shortens that conversation.
- Work on third-party sites
- Main contractors and plant operators may ask for proof of your safety management before you start work on their premises.
- Group requirement
- A parent company or a customer group can set the standard for all its suppliers. Your own preference then no longer matters.
03: Sectors
Which businesses get asked for ISO 45001 most often?
The table shows where the request typically comes from. Your own customers decide what they ask for, so the quickest check is a look at the last questionnaire or tender you received.
| Sector | Where the request comes from | What the buyer wants to see |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing and production | Supplier questionnaire of a larger buyer | Certificate number and standard version |
| Construction and trades | Main contractor, tender documents | Proof of safety management before site access |
| Logistics and transport | Carrier selection by shippers | Certificate in the onboarding file |
| Chemical industry | Customer audit, supplier approval | Valid certificate and evidence of hazard control |
| Healthcare | Purchasing department of institutions | Certificate as part of the supplier file |
04: Zertify
How Zertify fits in when a customer asks
Zertify issues the ISO 45001:2018 certificate on the basis of an online self-assessment. There is no on-site audit. The certificate is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE, and SICE reviews every assessment before it is released. A short online re-audit confirms it every year.
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. For customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein the prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT.
Every certificate can be checked publicly by its number or by the QR code on the PDF. A purchasing department does not have to phone anyone to confirm it.
05: Procedure
Getting certified quickly after a customer request
When a deadline sits in the customer's email, the order of steps matters.
Read the request
Check what exactly is asked: a certificate, a specific standard version, a date. Note whether the customer names a route.
Take the self-assessment
It has 34 yes/no questions. 14 of them are mandatory requirements of the standard and must all be answered yes. Of the other 20, at least 14 need a yes.
Pay and receive the certificate
You do not need an account to buy. The certificate arrives within 4 hours after you pass and pay.
Send it to the customer
Attach the PDF to the questionnaire or the quote. The buyer scans the QR code and lands on the verification page.
If a mandatory question gets a no, close that gap in your own system first and then continue. The standard only works if the practice is real.
06: Other route
Online certificate or on-site audit: what does your customer accept?
Some customers write the classic route with an on-site audit by a certification body into their requirements. Others only want a valid certificate that they can verify. The wording of the questionnaire or tender usually shows which case you are in.
If it is unclear, ask the buyer before you decide. One short question saves you from paying for a certificate that is then rejected. The guide below sets the routes side by side.
07: FAQ
Questions about ISO 45001 being mandatory
08: Guide
Related pages
Answer your customer's ISO 45001 request
Take the self-assessment and find out today whether you meet the requirements.
Free and without registration.