Following the latest ISO 45001 working group meeting which was held during the week of February 6, we are able to provide an update on this new international standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S).

It is anticipated that organizations currently certified to BS OHSAS 18001 will need to migrate to ISO 45001 within three years of the new standard’s publication, when BS OHSAS 18001 is likely to be withdrawn.

A second draft international standard (DIS2) is expected to be published in April of this year; there will then be a 4 month period to allow for translations and a ballot to be held on the DIS2.

The results of the ballot should be known by the end of July 2017 with the results of this being reviewed in September 2017.

If DIS2 is approved and the final draft international standard (FDIS) stage is not required, publication of the new standard could be as early as November 2017.

However, if an FDIS is required, the publication is more likely to be in Q2 2018.

At this point it is likely that OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn and organizations currently certified to OHSAS 18001 will have a three year period to migrate to ISO 45001.