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International standard for occupational health and safety management systems, often required in UK public procurement to ensure contractor workplace safety compliance.
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems. It provides a framework for organisations to manage risks and opportunities to prevent work-related injury and ill health. The standard replaced the previous OHSAS 18001 standard in March 2021.
UK public sector bodies frequently require ISO 45001 certification as part of their supplier qualification criteria, particularly for construction, facilities management, and high-risk service contracts. Contracting authorities use this requirement to demonstrate due diligence in protecting workers and ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation.
The standard requires organisations to establish policies, objectives, and processes for managing health and safety risks systematically. This includes hazard identification, risk assessment, incident investigation, and continuous improvement processes.
When specifying ISO 45001 in tender documents, contracting authorities typically require: - Valid certification from an accredited certification body - Evidence of implementation across relevant operations - Demonstration of continuous improvement in safety performance - Integration with project-specific health and safety plans
Some authorities accept equivalent standards or allow suppliers to demonstrate comparable OH&S management systems where proportionate to contract risk and value.
Requiring ISO 45001 helps contracting authorities reduce liability, ensure regulatory compliance, and demonstrate commitment to worker welfare. It provides assurance that suppliers have robust systems to manage health and safety risks throughout contract delivery, particularly important given public sector duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.