BQCIS

Transitioning to the New Global OH&S Standard

ISO 45001 officially supersedes OHSAS 18001 as the international benchmark for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management systems. While OHSAS 18001 focused on hazard control, ISO 45001 expands the approach with a proactive risk-based framework, emphasizing leadership, worker participation, and integration with core business processes.

For organizations still operating under OHSAS 18001, migrating to ISO 45001 is essential to maintain recognized certification. BQCIS provides expert migration support through gap analysis, documentation alignment, and practical implementation guidance.

Our impartial team ensures that the transition enhances compliance, worker engagement, and overall OH&S performance — making your management system stronger and more resilient.

Key Migration Activities

ISO 45001 Gap Analysis

Evaluating your current OHSAS 18001 framework against ISO 45001 requirements to identify areas needing revision or enhancement.

Transition Guidance & Documentation Support

Providing structured guidance to update OH&S documentation, leadership responsibilities, and risk-based processes under the ISO 45001 framework.

Key Benefits of Migrating to ISO 45001

Maintain Certification

Maintain Certification Validity

Ensures continuous recognition by transitioning to ISO 45001 before OHSAS 18001 phase-out deadlines.

Leadership Engagement

Increase Leadership Engagement

Promotes top management accountability and integration of OH&S into the organization’s strategic direction.

Risk Focus

Enhance Risk & Opportunity Focus

Shifts from reactive hazard control to proactive risk and opportunity identification for continual improvement.

Integration

Simplified System Integration

Aligns with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 through a shared High-Level Structure, simplifying multi-system management.

Success Story

Manufacturer Successfully Migrates from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001

The Challenge:

A manufacturing group with multiple plants needed to migrate from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 within six months to retain global customer compliance.

Our Solution:

BQCIS performed a full gap analysis, trained leadership and safety teams, and implemented a revised OH&S documentation system reflecting ISO 45001 clauses on leadership, participation, and risk management.

The Result:

All facilities transitioned smoothly, with the migration audit resulting in zero major findings. The organization enhanced worker engagement and demonstrated measurable safety improvements within six months post-certification.

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