Australian businesses spend millions of dollars each year on workplace-related injuries. Using industry best practices can help companies to reduce their health and safety risk and comply with government regulations. Many Australian organisations used AS/NZS 4801:2001 to align their operations with national standards.

In March 2018, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) released ISO 45001:2018, an updated standard that will replace AS/NZS 4801:2001. The new ISO standard puts more focus on identifying and controlling possible safety risks in the workplace. 

Initially, the Australian government announced that migration from AS/NZS 4801:2002 to ISO 45001:2018 must be completed by September 2021, but the timeline has been extended to 13 July 2023.

With all that the business world has faced in 2020, this extension provides a measure of relief. Still, it’s wise to jump on the migration as soon as possible. 

AS/NZS 4801 to ISO 45001 Migration Process

By this time, your existing certification body should have sent you information about the migration, but you can expect additional audit days to be added to your standard surveillance audit.

Organisations currently certified to AS/NZS 4801 can obtain non-JAS-ANZ accredited certification to ISO 45001. The migration from AS/NZS to ISO 45001 encompasses three steps: Gap-Analysis, Integrate and Educate.

1. Gap-Analysis

It’s impossible to effectively migrate without understanding how your existing management system aligns with the new standard.

2. Integrate

Migration provides the opportunity to refine your processes and integrate them with your existing quality and environment management systems. Given that the majority of ISO 45001’s requirements follow the same high-level structure as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, integrating the processes typically proves to be a straightforward project. 

3. Educate

Your organisation’s adoption of ISO 45001 provides an opportunity to educate your colleagues and workers, from Senior Management down to frontline employees. Education could include formal training, presentations, and even on-the-job instruction. 

Key Differences Between AS/NZS 4801 and ISO 45001

Besides fulfilling compliance requirements, ISO 45001 can make a big difference to your organisation. Yes, it’s a lengthy process, but when you examine the critical differences between AS/NZS 4801 and ISO 45001, the advantages are apparent. 

Let’s look at some of the main differences between the standards:

Senior Management Responsibilities

Under ISO 45001, senior management is now accountable for the thirteen responsibilities previously tasked to the Management Representative in the AS/NZS 4801 certification. Some of these responsibilities include:

• Ensuring the integration of health and safety management system requirements into the organisations business processes
• Communicating the importance of the management system 
• Safeguarding and promoting continual improvement
• Developing, leading and promoting a culture in the organisation that supports the management system’s aims and objectives
• Protecting workers from reprisals when they report on hazards and incidents.

Documented Procedures

ISO 45001 requires organisations to have documented procedures for topics like training and hazard management. Such systems can help your business to run more safely and efficiently. Your amended policies will include:

• a commitment to providing safe and healthy working conditions for the prevention of work-related injury and ill health,
• a commitment to eliminating hazards and reducing OH&S risks and
• a commitment to consultation and participation of workers, and, where they exist, workers representatives.

Additional Health and Safety Commitments

Under this new certification, your business will make additional commitments to health and safety policy. For example, your organisation will commit to reducing OH&S risks.

Risks and Opportunities

As you work to reach compliance with ISO 45001, you’ll identify risks and opportunities related to creating, operating and maintaining the management system. 

Contractors and Other Parties

Another critical difference is that under ISO 45001, businesses are responsible for extending workplace health and safety procedures to other parties, such as contractors. Topics in this section include:

• The subcontractor’s operations
• The impact of your organisation’s operations on the subcontractor
• The subcontractor’s influence on other interested parties

Contractors and Other Parties

Look for an expansion of the definition of hazards to include psychosocial risks, such as workload, work hours, victimisation, harassment and bullying. 

How Compliance Council Can Help

Bringing in compliance experts can help you to achieve ISO 45001 certification without having to distract employees from their daily performance. 

We can walk you through each step as you migrate from AS/NZS 4801 to ISO 45001. To learn more about the process, or to set up a consultation about how we can help you achieve your certification update, reach out to us at Compliance Council.