ISO 45001 is an international standard for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS). Achieving this certification demonstrates a commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace, which can enhance your organisation's reputation and operational efficiency. However, one of the most common questions businesses ask is: "How much does it cost to get ISO 45001 certification?"
Initial Assessment Costs of ISO 45001 certification
Before you embark on the journey towards ISO 45001 certification, it's essential to conduct an initial assessment or gap analysis. This step helps identify areas where your current practices fall short of the standard's requirements. The cost of this initial assessment can vary depending on the size and complexity of your organisation.
Hiring an ISO 45001 Consultant
Engaging an ISO 45001 consultant for the initial assessment can be highly beneficial. Consultants bring expertise and experience that can streamline the process. The cost for hiring a consultant typically ranges from £500 to £1,500 per day. For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a gap analysis might take between two to five days.
Internal Resources
If you choose not to hire an external consultant, you will need to allocate internal resources for conducting the gap analysis. This could involve dedicating staff time away from their usual responsibilities. While this might save on consultancy fees, it could lead to indirect costs due to reduced productivity.
Implementation Costs
Once you've identified gaps in your current system, you'll need to implement changes to meet ISO 45001 requirements. Implementation costs can vary widely based on several factors such as company size, existing processes, and resource availability.
Process Changes
Implementing new processes or modifying existing ones often incurs costs related to materials, equipment, or software upgrades. These expenses are highly variable but are crucial for meeting the standard's requirements.
Training
Training is another significant cost factor in achieving ISO 45001 certification. Employees at all levels need training on new procedures and safety protocols. Training programmes can range from online courses costing around £100 per person to more comprehensive in-person sessions that may cost upwards of £500 per participant.
Documentation
ISO 45001 requires extensive documentation of your OHSMS processes and procedures. Whether you handle this internally or hire an external consultant for documentation services will affect your overall costs.
Certification Audit Costs
The final step in obtaining ISO 45001 certification is undergoing a certification audit conducted by an accredited third-party body. The audit process generally involves two stages: a preliminary audit (Stage 1) and a full compliance audit (Stage 2).
Stage 1 Audit
The Stage 1 audit involves reviewing your documented information against ISO 45001 requirements. This stage typically takes one or two days depending on organisational complexity and usually costs between £1,000 and £2,000.
Stage 2 Audit
The Stage 2 audit is more comprehensive and involves evaluating the implementation of your OHSMS across various departments or sites within your organisation. The duration of this stage depends on company size but generally ranges from three to five days with costs ranging from £3,000 to £10,000.
Ongoing Maintenance Costs
Achieving ISO 45001 certification is not a one-time expense; maintaining compliance requires ongoing effort and investment.
Surveillance Audits
Most certifying bodies require annual surveillance audits to ensure continued compliance with ISO standards. These audits are less intensive than initial certification audits but still incur costs ranging from £1,000 to £3,000 annually.
Continuous Improvement
Maintaining an effective OHSMS involves continuous monitoring and improvement activities such as regular risk assessments, employee training updates, and system reviews—all of which have associated costs.
Total Cost Estimate
Summarising all these elements gives us a rough estimate:
Initial Assessment: £500 - £7,500
Implementation: Highly variable (£5,000 - £50,000)
Certification Audits: £4,000 - £12,000
Ongoing Maintenance: £1,000 - £5,000 annually
Therefore, the total cost for achieving ISO 45001 certification could range anywhere from approximately £10k for smaller organisations with minimal changes required up towards £70k+ for larger enterprises needing significant overhauls in their systems plus ongoing maintenance expenses thereafter.
Comments