ISO 45001 · Lead Auditor
ISO 45001 Lead Auditor: Occupational Health and Safety
Gain the skills to audit and strengthen occupational health and safety management systems against ISO 45001, helping organisations reduce risk and build safer workplaces.
- Self-Paced
- Trainer-Led
ISO 45001 and Australian WHS law
ISO 45001 is not a substitute for the model Work Health and Safety Act and its regulations. Compliance with Australian WHS law is a legal obligation; ISO 45001 certification is voluntary.
They fit together well, though. The standard gives you a systematic framework for discharging duties that the legislation states in outcome terms, and it produces the documented evidence of due diligence that officers need under section 27.
The auditor perspective
Auditing safety is different from auditing information security. Much of the evidence is physical and observational: you are on site, watching how work is actually done, comparing it to what the procedure says.
The course covers that skill explicitly: how to observe without disrupting, how to interview workers about hazards, and how to judge whether a control is genuinely in place or merely documented.
Worker participation
ISO 45001 places unusual weight on worker consultation and participation, which is one of the clearest differences from earlier standards like OHSAS 18001. It is also one of the most common areas of nonconformity. The course spends real time on what adequate participation looks like and how to test for it.
What you will learn
- Explain the requirements and intent of ISO 45001
- Plan and lead an audit of an OH&S management system
- Assess hazard identification and risk control processes
- Evaluate worker participation and consultation arrangements
- Document and report nonconformities clearly
- Support continual improvement of safety performance
Course content
1. OH&S management systems and ISO 45001
Structure, intent and how the standard relates to Australian WHS law.
2. Hazard identification and risk
The hierarchy of control, risk assessment and management of change.
3. Worker participation
Consultation, representation and the standard distinctive emphasis on workers.
4. Audit planning and execution
Programme, plan, evidence gathering and site observation technique.
5. Findings, reporting and follow-up
Nonconformity classification, reporting and verification of corrective action.
Exam and certification
Open-book written exam delivered online through PECB Exams.
Your fee includes your first exam attempt and one free retake within 12 months. After passing, you can apply for the relevant PECB credential.
