Gap analysis, implementation and internal audits that prepare your system and evidence for an independent JAS-ANZ accredited certification body.
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Spire Safety helps Australian organisations close ISO 45001 gaps, implement practical OH&S management systems and build the records required for Stage 1 and Stage 2. We prepare your team and evidence; the independent certification body makes the certification decision.
Reviewed by Nathan Owen, Senior Safety Consultant · Updated September 2026
Stage 1 checks whether the system is ready to audit. Stage 2 checks whether it is operating. The common failures are missing evidence: no completed internal audit, no management review, objectives never measured and corrective actions never verified.
A gap analysis finds those issues while they are still affordable to correct. The project starts with evidence and operating practice, not with rewriting documents for their own sake.
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. ISO 45001 certification means an accredited certification body has audited your system and confirmed it meets the standard.
Certification bodies accredited by JAS-ANZ issue ISO 45001 certificates in Australia. Consultants, including Spire Safety, can prepare your system, close gaps and conduct internal audits, but cannot make the independent certification decision.
A clause-by-clause review of the system and operating evidence, delivered as a prioritised closure plan.
Processes, responsibilities and records embedded around how your organisation actually operates.
Controlled documented information written from the operation rather than a generic template.
An objective audit program planned across the certification cycle, with findings tracked to effective closure.
Preparation and facilitation covering the required inputs, decisions, actions and retained evidence.
A complete rehearsal before Stage 1 and Stage 2, while findings are still inexpensive to close.
The certifiable requirements connect governance and worker participation to operational control, measurement and continual improvement.
| Clause | What it requires | Common evidence gap |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — Context of the organisation | Define the organisation, interested parties, OH&S management system scope and required processes. | Scope excludes relevant work, contractors or sites; interested-party needs are not kept current. |
| 5 — Leadership and worker participation | Demonstrate leadership, policy, responsibilities, consultation and meaningful worker participation. | Consultation exists in a procedure but not in records, decisions or worker involvement. |
| 6 — Planning | Identify hazards, risks, opportunities, legal requirements, objectives and planned actions. | Legal registers are generic, objectives lack owners or measures, and change is not reassessed. |
| 7 — Support | Provide resources, competence, awareness, communication and control of documented information. | Competence evidence is incomplete and uncontrolled documents remain in operational use. |
| 8 — Operation | Plan and control work, manage change, procurement, contractors, outsourcing and emergencies. | Operational controls do not match actual work or contractor arrangements. |
| 9 — Performance evaluation | Monitor performance, evaluate compliance, complete internal audits and hold management reviews. | The audit program is incomplete or management review occurs too late for Stage 2. |
| 10 — Improvement | Respond to incidents and nonconformities, take corrective action and continually improve. | Actions are closed without testing whether the fix was effective. |
From a standing start, ISO 45001 certification typically takes 4 to 12 months. A mature existing system may move faster, while complex or multi-site organisations can take longer. The timetable depends on current gaps, how quickly operating evidence is produced, internal availability and the certification body’s audit schedule.
Confirm the certification scope and compare current processes and evidence with clauses 4 to 10.
Close documentation, process and responsibility gaps with the people who own the work.
Use the system long enough to generate records a certification auditor can sample.
Complete the clause 9.2 audit program objectively and close the resulting findings.
Review performance, risks, objectives and audit outcomes, then record the required decisions.
The independent certification body reviews readiness at Stage 1 and implementation at Stage 2.
No. ISO 45001:2018, including Amendment 1:2024 on climate change considerations, remains the current certifiable edition. A revised edition is expected, but certified organisations are normally given a transition period after publication rather than being required to change overnight.
An effective 2018 system provides the foundation for a future transition. If a customer or tender requires certification now, waiting gives up the commercial value without removing the implementation work.
ISO 45001 consulting with Spire Safety starts from $15,000. Certification-body audit fees are quoted separately by the certification body you choose. The total cost has two separate parts: consultant support to prepare and test the system, and independent certification-body fees. Both depend on workforce size, sites, risk, existing evidence, certification scope and the amount of work needed before audit.
| Cost area | What it covers | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Consultant support | Gap analysis, implementation and internal audit. | Current maturity, document and evidence gaps, sites, workforce, risk profile and implementation support required. |
| Certification body | Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, annual surveillance audits and recertification every three years. | Accredited scope, employee numbers, sites, complexity, audit duration, travel and the certification body’s fee schedule. |
| Comparison | ISO 45001 certification | WHS management system | AS/NZS 4801 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal requirement | Voluntary unless required by a contract, tender or licence | Supports compliance with WHS duties; specific systems may be required in some sectors | No — it has been superseded |
| External audit | Required by an accredited certification body | Not inherently required | No longer used for new accredited certification |
| Certificate issued | Yes, after successful Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits | No certificate unless independently assessed against a certification standard | Existing certificates transitioned to ISO 45001 |
| Current status | Current edition is ISO 45001:2018 with Amendment 1:2024 | A current operational framework shaped by Australian WHS duties | Superseded by ISO 45001 |
| Best for | Organisations needing independently verified certification | Businesses needing practical, documented safety governance | Historical reference only |
Brisbane-based and delivered remote-first nationally. See our full list of service locations.
Senior Safety Consultant
Masters Workplace Health and Safety · Masters Business Administration · Diploma of Vocational Education
Nathan brings 15 years of WHS and HSEQ experience, including system development, implementation and preparation for JAS-ANZ certification.
Safety Consultant
IMS Lead Auditor · Certificate IV WHS · Diploma Human Resources
Jodie applies lead-auditor capability to WHS risk management, system implementation and objective internal auditing.
Tell us your certification scope, sites, current system and target date. A senior consultant will confirm the evidence review, implementation needs and next steps.
