ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems and the replacement for OHSAS 18001. It requires hazard identification and risk assessment, legal compliance, worker participation, operational controls, emergency preparedness, incident investigation and continual improvement. Indian factories, construction sites and contractors are expected to show an OH&S system in EPC tenders, OEM vendor audits and lender due diligence, and the system doubles as the backbone of Factories Act and BOCW Act compliance.
Legal basis: ISO 45001:2018 (voluntary international standard); the compliance obligations register covers the Factories Act, 1948 and state rules, the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 as and when brought into force
Who needs it
- Manufacturing plants, especially chemical, pharma, steel, cement and engineering units with high-hazard processes
- EPC contractors, builders and infrastructure companies bidding for projects that require a certified OH&S system
- Contractors and service providers working inside client sites that demand ISO 45001 in their vendor safety requirements
- Logistics, warehousing and fleet operators with manual handling and vehicle risks
- Hospitals, labs and facilities with biological, chemical and ergonomic hazards
- Companies still citing the withdrawn OHSAS 18001 certificate
Common in:Manufacturing & Industrial UnitsPharma & ChemicalsHospitals & HealthcareReal Estate & Infrastructure
Documents required
- 1Factory licence, stability certificate and approved plans under the Factories Act, or BOCW registration
- 2Hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA) records, job safety analyses and permits to work, if any
- 3Accident, incident, near-miss and occupational illness records for the last three years and returns filed with the Inspectorate
- 4Safety policy, safety committee minutes and safety officer appointment where applicable
- 5Emergency plan, mock drill records, fire NOC and firefighting equipment inspection records
- 6Medical examination records of workers and health surveillance reports
- 7Training records, PPE issue registers and contractor safety management procedure
- 8Equipment and lifting tackle test certificates, pressure vessel and electrical inspection reports
- 9Legal register of applicable OH&S laws and licence conditions
Missing something? We help you obtain or regularise supporting documents before filing.
How we get it done
- 1
Scoping and gap analysis
Day 1–7We walk the site, review your statutory safety compliance and compare current practice with every ISO 45001 clause.
- 2
HIRA and legal register
Day 5–20Hazards are identified activity by activity with workers, risks are rated and controls set; every applicable law and licence condition goes into a compliance register.
- 3
Documentation and controls
Day 15–40OH&S policy, objectives, operational procedures, permit-to-work, contractor control, emergency plans and record formats are written around your operations.
- 4
Worker participation, training and internal audit
Day 35–60The safety committee and reporting channels are made to work, staff and contractors are trained, and our auditor runs the internal audit and management review.
- 5
Certification audit
Day 55–80We attend the Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, close findings and the ISO 45001 certificate is issued with surveillance dates in your calendar.
If you skip certification
ISO 45001 is voluntary, but the Factories Act, 1948 and the BOCW Act are not: contraventions attract imprisonment of up to two years and fines, with higher penalties for accidents causing death or serious injury, and the occupier and manager are personally liable. Beyond prosecution, a serious accident at an uncertified site routinely triggers client blacklisting, insurer scrutiny and lost tenders. Companies that still cite OHSAS 18001 have no valid certificate, as that standard was withdrawn in March 2021.
Why MYDA Group
Specialists, not generalists
Environmental compliance is our only practice, so your file is handled by people who do this every day.
Fixed fee, written scope
You know the professional fee and the statutory fees before we start. No surprise add-ons.
Inspection and audit-ready
We prepare your site and team for the board visit or certification audit and attend it with you.
Lifetime reminders
Every condition, return and renewal goes into your compliance calendar with alerts.
Frequently asked questions
We had OHSAS 18001. Is it still valid?
No. OHSAS 18001 was withdrawn in March 2021 and all certificates either migrated to ISO 45001 or lapsed. If your documentation still references OHSAS 18001 you need a fresh ISO 45001 implementation and audit; much of the old system can be reused.
What does worker participation mean in practice?
ISO 45001 requires workers at all levels, not just managers, to be consulted on hazards, risk assessments, incident investigations and the safety policy. In practice that means a functioning safety committee, toolbox talks, a way to report hazards without fear and evidence that worker inputs changed something.
Does ISO 45001 cover contractors on our site?
Yes. Contractor and outsourced workers within the scope are covered, and the standard requires you to control contractor safety through pre-qualification, induction, permits and supervision. This is where most Indian sites have the largest gaps.
How does it fit with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001?
All three share the same structure, and most manufacturers and contractors certify them together as an integrated QHSE system in one combined audit.