Steps to OHSAS 18001 Certification

We offer six versions of our products to simplify the process for organizations that already have other management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, etc.) in place or want to deal with more than one standard at a time.

See our OHSAS 18001 Product Selection Guide to learn more about which version is best for you

Step 1. Learn

You will need to understand the standards (OHSAS 18001 along with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 if you are combining them), to help you with what you need to do in your company to meet the requirements. The family of OHSAS standard is relatively small and is made up of two main standards:

OHSAS 18001:2007, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Requirements
OHSAS 18002:2008, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001:2007

Learn about the standard:

What are the Requirements?

The OHSAS 18000 Family of Standards Explained

Who is ISO?
What Standards do I need? What additional supporting standards are required?

If you are contemplating ISO 9001 also, read these:

If you are contemplating ISO 14001 also, read these:

Buy a Copy of the Standard that’s right for you

Buy Training Materials

Step 2. Perform Gap Analysis & Initial OH&S Review and Risk Analysis

Use the Gap Analysis Checklist to determine where you need to change your existing system.

What is a Gap Analysis?
Buy OHSAS 18001 Gap Analysis Checklist

Use the Initial OH&S Checklists to identify areas that need attention in your specific workplaces.

What is an Initial OH&S Review?
Purchase the OH&S Initial Review Checklists to cover your office and/or your plant workplaces. The checklists are included in the Risk Analysis Guide and are also available as a separate item.

Complete the risk management loop with the identification of hazards, assessments of risks and determination of controls.

What is an OH&S Risk Analysis?
How to identify hazards and manage risks with OHSAS 18001
Buy the Risk Analysis Guide. The guide includes the risk analysis worksheets that you will need to conduct the risk analysis for the hazards identified in your workplaces. The OH&S Risk Analysis Worksheets are also available separately.

Step 3. Plan

Create a Project Plan

Consider a Step-by-Step Workbook to guide you
- OHSAS 18001 Workbook and PowerPoints
To select the best Workbook format for your needs, refer to

Step 4. Educate Your Organization

All of your employees will need to be trained on OHSAS 18001 management system.

PowerPoint Presentation & Training Materials

Step 5. Design & Document

Design and document your OHSAS 18001 Health and Safety Manual and Procedures. The biggest portion of the project is looking at your current processes, and redesigning them to address all of the requirements of the standard. Once you have modified or developed processes to meet the standard, you will need to control those processes. Documenting the OHSMS procedures is part of this control.

OHSAS 18001 Documentation Requirements
OHSAS 18001 OH&S Management System. These templates will save you time and money versus creating them on your own documents. Best of all, they include FREE Support!

Step 6. Use & Improve Your OHSMS

Once your system is developed and documented, employees will follow the procedures, collect records and make improvements to the system. For approximately three months or more, your organization will run the OHSMS, collecting records.

Step 7. Audit the OH&S Performance

Is your OHSMS working? You will conduct internal audits to see how your system is working and how you can improve it. You can follow the internal audit with the management review to prepare for the Registration Audit by a Registrar.

Step 8. Achieve Registration

There are three types of conformance:

Internal efforts to create an OHSMS that meets OHSAS 18001
Self-declaration of conformance
Third party verified registration through a Registrar.
Select a registrar

To get your Registration, typically you will select a Registrar and they will come and perform your registration audit. During these audits, the Auditors will be looking at your OHSMS to make sure that it meets the requirements of your system. If they find some areas that do not meet the requirements, they will document a “Nonconformance”. Your registration will be dependent on your correcting any nonconformances that are found. Regular surveillance audits will follow (at 6 or 12 months intervals) after your registration audit.

Achieving registration is a major accomplishment and you may want to CELEBRATE!