The ISO 45001 revision: the third transition on the same auditors

The dates so far

What the draft is reported to change

ISO does not summarise draft changes. Certification bodies that have reviewed the draft report that the structure stays largely the same and existing requirements are developed further, with more attention to:

• Psychosocial risks. Work-related stress, psychological strain and bullying, alongside physical hazards.
• Wellbeing. A wider view of health and work-related wellbeing, including how work is organised.
• New forms of work. Remote, mobile and hybrid working, and the ergonomic and stress risks they bring.
• Climate-related hazards. Building on the 2024 climate change amendment, including heat and preparedness.
• Outsourcing and supply chains. Wider control of contractors and externally provided processes.
• Participation and culture. More weight on effectiveness and worker participation than on documentation.

Why it matters for your programme

It overlaps the two transitions already running

For ISO 9001:2026 and ISO 14001:2026, the certification body's readiness declaration fell due about nine and a half months after publication. If ISO 45001 follows the same pattern and is published in the first half of 2027, its declaration would fall in late 2027 or early 2028, while your ISO 9001 transition audits are at their peak. In India, NABCB has set its own certification body dates earlier than the international ones before. NABCB transition dates

Integrated clients carry all three

A client certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 at one integrated audit could need three transitions within about two years. Clients whose visits you schedule now for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are the same clients who will need an ISO 45001 transition audit later. Knowing how many there are is the first planning step.

Competence in new topics

Psychosocial risk and wellbeing are topics many OH&S auditors have not been assessed on. ISO 45003:2021 already gives guidance on psychological health and safety at work, so training can start before the revision is published, and your competence criteria can be updated once it is. The competence evidence an assessor asks for

What to do now

1. 1

   Count your ISO 45001 certificates, and how many belong to clients also certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001.

2. 2

   Add ISO 45003 to the training plan for your OH&S auditors, technical reviewers and decision makers.

3. 3

   Keep capacity in reserve for 2028. Your ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 load plan should not assume the OH&S auditors are free that year.

4. 4

   Wait for the published text before changing checklists, report templates or audit time.

Model your ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 peak quarter · Every transition in date order