The ISO 45001 revision has reached an important stage — but it is not finished yet.
In June 2026, ISO/TC 283 announced that the revised ISO 45001 had progressed to the Draft International Standard (DIS) stage and entered the official ballot and comment process. ISO’s own catalogue currently lists ISO/DIS 45001 as a draft standard under development, while ISO 45001:2018 remains the current published standard. ISO 45001:2018 ISO/TC 283 revision update
That creates a practical question for organizations already certified to ISO 45001:2018:
Should we start preparing now, or should we wait until the final revised standard is published?
The best answer is neither extreme.
Organizations should prepare intelligently — but they should not prematurely rebuild their entire OH&S management system around a draft.
The current DIS provides a useful indication of the direction in which occupational health and safety management is evolving. At the same time, it remains part of the ISO development process, which means proposed requirements can still change before the final International Standard is published.
This article explains what organizations can confidently do now, what they should monitor, and what should wait until the revised standard becomes final.
What Is the Current Status of the ISO 45001 Revision?
ISO 45001:2018 is currently the published International Standard for occupational health and safety management systems.
ISO states that the 2018 edition was reviewed and confirmed in 2024, after which the decision was made to revise it. The revision project subsequently progressed to ISO/DIS 45001. ISO’s catalogue currently identifies the DIS as an under-development draft at the DIS ballot stage. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
ISO/TC 283 announced on 18 June 2026 that the Draft International Standard had entered the ISO ballot stage, with national standards bodies reviewing the draft and providing comments and votes as part of the consensus-based development process. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
This distinction matters.
ISO/DIS 45001 is not the final revised ISO 45001.
Therefore, organizations should not describe proposed provisions in the DIS as mandatory requirements or make unsupported claims about certification transition deadlines.
What Does DIS Mean for Organizations?
DIS stands for Draft International Standard.
It is a significant stage in ISO’s standards-development process because the draft is circulated for formal review, comments and voting.
However, reaching the DIS stage does not mean that the document is already the final standard.
For organizations, the DIS is best treated as a strategic signal.
It can help organizations understand where occupational health and safety management expectations may be heading and identify areas that are sensible to review now.
It should not be treated as a replacement for ISO 45001:2018.
Why Organizations Should Pay Attention Now
Waiting for the final standard before thinking about the revision may sound safe, but it can create unnecessary pressure later.
An OH&S management system is not changed overnight.
Organizations may need time to:
- Review processes
- Understand operational risks
- Evaluate existing controls
- Update responsibilities
- Strengthen competence
- Review contractor controls
- Improve performance monitoring
- Conduct internal audits
- Train relevant personnel
- Implement and verify changes
That is why the sensible approach is to prepare without prematurely transitioning.
Organizations can review the strength of their existing OH&S management system now, while waiting for the final standard before making changes that depend specifically on final wording.
What Organizations Can Review Before the Final Standard
The current revision process provides useful areas for organizations to examine. However, the areas discussed below should be understood as potential or draft-related areas of attention, not confirmed final requirements.
Hazard Identification
Organizations can review whether their hazard-identification process adequately reflects the work they actually perform.
Ask:
- Are hazards reviewed when processes change?
- Are non-routine activities considered?
- Are new technologies and work methods evaluated?
- Are contractors and externally provided activities considered?
- Are lessons from incidents and near misses incorporated?
This is useful regardless of the eventual wording of the revised standard because hazard identification is already fundamental to an effective OH&S management system.
OH&S Risks and Opportunities
Organizations can also review whether their risk assessment process remains meaningful or has become a routine documentation exercise.
A useful review should examine whether risk information actually influences decisions about:
- Controls
- Resources
- Training
- Operational planning
- Monitoring
- Emergency preparedness
- Continual improvement
A risk register that is updated annually but rarely influences operational decisions may indicate an opportunity to strengthen the management system.
Psychosocial and Mental-Health Considerations
Work-related wellbeing and psychosocial factors are receiving increasing attention in occupational health and safety practice.
Professional commentary on the DIS has identified stronger attention to work-related wellbeing and psychosocial considerations as areas proposed in the draft. However, these should not be presented as final ISO 45001 requirements until the revised standard is formally published. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Organizations can nevertheless review whether their existing OH&S approach appropriately considers relevant factors such as:
- Workload and work pressure
- Working hours
- Workplace behaviour
- Organizational change
- Work-related stressors
- Employee wellbeing
For organizations seeking dedicated guidance on psychological health and safety, ISO 45003:2021 already provides guidance for managing psychosocial risks at work. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Occupational Health
Another area identified in professional analysis of the DIS is a stronger focus on occupational health.
Organizations can therefore review whether their current OH&S management system considers occupational health risks alongside more traditional physical safety hazards.
Depending on the organization’s activities, this may include exposure-related risks, occupational health surveillance, work-related ill health and appropriate arrangements for supporting worker health.
Important: These observations relate to the current draft direction and should not be interpreted as a final list of new ISO 45001 requirements.
Changing Work Arrangements
The workplace is changing.
Organizations increasingly use hybrid work, remote work, distributed teams, temporary work arrangements, digital technologies and changing forms of employment.
That creates new questions for OH&S management:
- Where does work actually take place?
- What hazards exist outside the traditional workplace?
- How are remote-work risks considered?
- How are changes in work methods assessed?
- How are workers informed about relevant controls?
ISO/TC 283’s portfolio also includes dedicated work on guidance for remote working, reflecting the broader evolution of OH&S management in changing work environments. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Contractors and External Providers
Organizations should also examine how effectively they control OH&S risks associated with contractors, outsourced activities and externally provided services.
Professional analysis of the DIS identifies enhanced attention to externally provided products and services among the proposed changes. Again, this is a draft-stage indication rather than a final requirement. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
A practical review can ask:
- Are contractor OH&S responsibilities clearly defined?
- Are contractors evaluated before engagement?
- Are relevant hazards and controls communicated?
- Is contractor performance monitored?
- Are incidents involving contractors analysed?
- Are outsourced activities considered within the OH&S risk framework?
Performance Evaluation
An organization should not judge the strength of its OH&S management system solely by whether it has procedures.
Review whether performance information actually tells management something useful.
Potential indicators include:
- Incidents and near misses
- Unsafe conditions
- Corrective-action effectiveness
- Inspection results
- Audit findings
- Worker participation
- Training and competence
- Occupational health indicators
- Trends over time
The goal should be to understand whether controls are working and where risks may be changing.
Continual Improvement
Organizations can also review whether OH&S improvement is genuinely continuous or mainly triggered by incidents and audits.
A mature system learns from:
- Incidents
- Near misses
- Worker feedback
- Audit results
- Risk assessments
- Changes in operations
- Performance trends
This creates an OH&S management system that becomes more resilient over time.
What Organizations Should NOT Do Yet
The publication of a DIS can create unnecessary urgency.
Organizations should resist the temptation to immediately rewrite their entire management system.
Do Not Rewrite the Entire OH&S System Based Only on the Draft
The DIS is still subject to the standards-development process.
Rebuilding procedures, registers, responsibilities and documentation around draft wording could result in unnecessary work if provisions change before publication.
Do Not Assume Every Proposed Change Will Become Final
A draft provides an indication of direction, not a guarantee of final wording.
Organizations should therefore distinguish clearly between:
- Current ISO 45001:2018 requirements
- Published amendments
- Draft/proposed provisions
- Future final requirements
Do Not Abandon Your Existing ISO 45001:2018 System
ISO 45001:2018 remains the current published standard.
Organizations certified to ISO 45001 should continue maintaining and improving their existing OH&S management system rather than treating the DIS as if it has already replaced the current standard. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
Do Not Make Unsupported Transition Claims
At the DIS stage, organizations should avoid statements such as:
- “The new ISO 45001 is mandatory.”
- “All organizations must transition by a specific date.”
- “The transition period has already been confirmed.”
- “These draft clauses are now certification requirements.”
Such statements should only be made when supported by the final published standard and applicable official transition decisions.
A Practical ISO 45001 Readiness Approach
The most useful strategy is a controlled readiness process:
Understand → Review → Identify Gaps → Strengthen → Monitor → Transition
1. Understand
Understand the current status of the revision and distinguish the current ISO 45001:2018 requirements from draft proposals.
2. Review
Review your existing OH&S management system against areas that are strategically relevant to your organization.
3. Identify Gaps
Record areas where your current system may need strengthening, but distinguish between:
- Existing compliance gaps
- Good-practice improvements
- Potential future-revision gaps
4. Strengthen
Improve areas that make sense regardless of the final revision.
For example, if contractor controls are weak, improving them now is valuable whether or not the final standard changes the exact wording.
5. Monitor
Continue monitoring official ISO and ISO/TC 283 updates as the revision progresses.
6. Transition
Once the final revised ISO 45001 is published and official transition arrangements are known, perform a detailed final gap assessment and implement the confirmed changes.
ISO 45001 Gap Assessment: What Should It Look Like?
A useful ISO 45001 gap assessment should not simply compare one checklist against another.
It should examine how the OH&S management system operates in practice.
A practical assessment can cover:
| Area | Questions to Consider |
|---|---|
| Context | Has the organization considered relevant internal and external OH&S issues? |
| Hazards | Are hazards systematically identified across relevant activities? |
| Risk | Are OH&S risks and opportunities influencing operational decisions? |
| Workers | Are workers appropriately consulted and involved? |
| Contractors | Are contractor and outsourced-activity risks effectively controlled? |
| Operations | Are operational controls effective in practice? |
| Performance | Does monitoring provide useful information about OH&S performance? |
| Improvement | Are incidents, findings and lessons converted into effective improvement? |
For a revision-readiness exercise, add a second layer:
Which areas may be affected by the current DIS direction?
This prevents organizations from confusing a general management-system weakness with a draft-specific change.
Why Preparing Early Can Actually Reduce Transition Pressure
Preparation does not mean implementing every draft proposal.
It means reducing the number of unknowns.
For example, an organization may discover during a readiness review that:
- Its contractor controls are inconsistent.
- Psychosocial risks are not systematically considered.
- Occupational-health information is fragmented.
- Risk assessments are not updated after operational changes.
- Performance indicators are focused heavily on lagging indicators.
- Worker participation could be stronger.
These are valuable findings even before the final revised standard is published.
Improving them can strengthen the organization’s existing OH&S management system while also potentially reducing future transition effort.
ISO 45001:2018 Transition — What We Know and What We Don’t
| Question | Current Position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is ISO 45001 being revised? | Yes. | ||||
| The revision has reached the DIS stage. | |||||
| Is ISO/DIS 45001 the final standard? | No. It remains a draft under development. | ||||
| Is ISO 45001:2018 still current? | Yes. ISO currently lists ISO 45001:2018 as the published standard. | ||||
| Should organizations review their systems now? | Yes, particularly in areas that are strategically important or likely to be affected. | ||||
| Should organizations fully implement all draft changes now? | No. Draft provisions should not be treated as final requirements. | ||||
| Is a final transition deadline confirmed? | Not at the DIS stage. | ||||
| When will the final standard be published? | ISO has not confirmed a final publication date in the sources reviewed. |
How Shark Certification Can Help Organizations Prepare
Preparing for a management-system revision is most effective when organizations understand both their current position and the areas that may require attention.
Shark Certification provides consultancy services covering certification implementation, compliance guidance, risk management, process improvement, auditing and gap analysis.
Shark also provides audit services, including internal audits, compliance audits, pre-certification audits, surveillance audits, supplier audits and customized audit solutions. These services can help organizations identify weaknesses in their existing OH&S management system and prioritize improvements. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
For organizations that need to build internal competence, Shark offers training services designed to help teams understand and maintain management-system standards and compliance practices. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
Shark’s current certification portfolio also includes ISO 45001:2018. However, organizations should distinguish this current certification service from any future certification or transition support for a revised edition until the revised standard and applicable certification arrangements are formally established. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
For organizations already certified to ISO 45001:2018, the most useful immediate step is therefore not to “transition early” to a draft.
It is to understand the current direction, assess the existing OH&S management system and strengthen genuine weaknesses.
Need help assessing your current OH&S management system? Talk to Shark Certification about gap assessment, audits, consultancy and ISO 45001 support.
Frequently Asked Questions About the ISO 45001 Revision
Is ISO 45001 being revised?
Yes. ISO 45001 is currently undergoing its first major revision since its publication in 2018. The revision has reached the Draft International Standard stage. ISO’s catalogue currently lists ISO/DIS 45001 as a draft standard under development. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
What stage is the ISO 45001 revision currently at?
The revision is currently at the Draft International Standard (DIS) stage. ISO/TC 283 announced in June 2026 that the DIS had entered the official ballot and comment process. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
Should organizations certified to ISO 45001:2018 start preparing now?
Yes, but preparation should be measured. Organizations can review their existing OH&S management systems, identify weaknesses and monitor areas indicated by the revision process without treating the draft as a final certification requirement.
Should an organization change its OH&S management system based on the draft?
Organizations should not automatically implement every proposed change in the DIS. However, they can strengthen areas that are already relevant to effective OH&S management and may also be relevant to the revision, such as hazard identification, risk management, contractor controls, worker participation and performance evaluation.
When will the revised ISO 45001 be published?
ISO has not confirmed a final publication date in the official sources reviewed for this article. Some certification and assurance organizations anticipate publication in 2027, but that should be treated as an expectation rather than a confirmed ISO deadline. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
What is an ISO 45001 gap assessment?
An ISO 45001 gap assessment compares an organization’s existing OH&S management system against applicable requirements or defined assessment criteria to identify areas of conformity, weakness and improvement. A revision-readiness assessment can additionally examine areas indicated by the current DIS while clearly separating draft-related observations from confirmed requirements.
What areas may be affected by the ISO 45001 revision?
The current draft direction has been reported as placing greater attention on areas including work-related wellbeing, psychosocial considerations, workforce diversity, hazard identification for modern ways of working, occupational health, return-to-work arrangements and externally provided products and services. These are draft-stage observations and may change before the final standard is published. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
Will ISO 45001:2018 certification immediately become invalid when the revised standard is published?
Organizations should not assume a specific transition arrangement before the relevant official arrangements are confirmed. Any transition period, deadlines and certification rules should be based on the final standard and applicable decisions from the relevant certification and accreditation framework.
Can organizations continue using ISO 45001:2018 now?
Yes. ISO currently lists ISO 45001:2018 as the published standard, while ISO/DIS 45001 remains under development. Organizations certified to ISO 45001:2018 should continue maintaining their existing management systems. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
Why should organizations review psychosocial risks before the final standard?
Psychosocial and work-related wellbeing considerations are increasingly important to occupational health and safety. The current draft has been reported as giving greater attention to work-related wellbeing and psychosocial issues. Organizations can review these risks now as part of good OH&S practice without claiming that every proposed provision is already a final ISO 45001 requirement. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
How can organizations prepare for the ISO 45001 transition?
A practical approach is to understand the revision, review the existing system, identify gaps, strengthen genuine weaknesses, monitor official developments and conduct a final transition assessment after the revised standard is formally published.
Final Thoughts: Prepare, But Don’t Panic
The ISO 45001 revision is far enough along that organizations should pay attention.
But it is not far enough along to justify treating the draft as the final standard.
That distinction should guide every preparation decision.
Do not wait passively.
But also:
Do not rebuild your entire OH&S management system around a document that is still being developed.
The smarter approach is to use this period to understand the direction of change, examine how effectively your current system manages real OH&S risks and strengthen weaknesses that make sense today.
Think of the process as:
Understand → Review → Identify Gaps → Strengthen → Monitor → Transition.
When the final revised ISO 45001 is eventually published, organizations that have already developed a strong, risk-based and effective OH&S management system will be in a much better position to assess the confirmed requirements and make targeted changes.
The goal is not to transition early to a draft. The goal is to be ready when the final standard arrives.
Want to understand how prepared your OH&S management system is? Contact Shark Certification to discuss ISO 45001 gap assessment, auditing, consultancy and training support.
