OHSAS 18001 Comes to an End: The ISO 45001 Migration Deadline
The migration period from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001:2018 ends in September 2021, after a six-month extension granted because of the pandemic. OHSAS 18001 certificates are no longer valid after that.
Key points
- The original three-year migration period ended in March 2021 and was extended by six months because of COVID-19.
- After the deadline, OHSAS 18001 certificates are withdrawn.
- Organisations that missed the deadline need a new certification audit against ISO 45001.
What the deadline means
An OHSAS 18001 certificate cannot be renewed or maintained after the end of the migration period. Customers and tender committees that ask for certified occupational health and safety management now expect ISO 45001:2018.
If you have not migrated
- Contact your certification body to confirm the status of your certificate
- Run a gap analysis against ISO 45001:2018
- Give priority to worker consultation and participation, context and the control of contractors
- Complete an internal audit and a management review before the certification audit
After migration
The first surveillance audits against ISO 45001 usually test whether the new requirements are working in practice: whether workers are really consulted, whether management reviews OH&S performance, and whether changes are assessed before they are made.