ISO 45001:2018 is the current international standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems, and its auditable requirements sit in clauses 4 to 10. A second edition is in development and certification bodies expect it in 2027, but until it is published, certification in the UAE and elsewhere is to the 2018 edition.
This guide is for HSE managers, construction and facilities contractors, and anyone preparing a UAE site for an ISO 45001 or client HSE audit.
Is ISO 45001:2018 still the current edition?
Yes. ISO 45001:2018 was published in March 2018 as the first edition. In 2024 ISO issued Amendment 1, which adds climate change as an issue to consider when you determine the context of your system. The ISO 45001 page on iso.org now marks the 2018 edition "to be revised".
The revision is ISO/DIS 45001, planned as the second edition. At October 2026 iso.org shows it at stage 40.60, close of voting, which means the draft international standard ballot has ended. Certification bodies report that publication is expected in 2027, followed by a transition period. A draft is not a standard, so do not rebuild your system to the draft text.
ISO 45001 replaced OHSAS 18001, which has been withdrawn. Any certificate or document that still cites OHSAS 18001 needs updating.
What does each clause require, and what evidence do auditors ask for?
Clauses 1 to 3 cover scope, references and terms. Clauses 4 to 10 contain the requirements, in the high-level structure, now called the Harmonized Structure, that ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 also use. The table lists the clauses that produce most of the audit trail on a working site. The evidence column is AGS's practical interpretation, not text from the standard.
| Clause | Topic | Evidence an auditor asks for on a UAE site |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 to 4.3 | Context, interested parties, scope | Context register, list of sites and activities in scope, climate change consideration |
| 5.4 | Consultation and participation of workers | Safety committee minutes, toolbox talk records, worker suggestions and what changed |
| 6.1.2 | Hazard identification and risk assessment | Task-based risk assessments, method statements, review after incidents or changes |
| 6.1.3 | Legal requirements and other requirements | Register of federal and emirate rules, client HSE requirements |
| 8.1.3 | Management of change | Change requests with risk review before new equipment, methods or sites |
| 8.1.4 | Procurement, including contractors | Contractor prequalification, site induction, monitoring records |
| 8.2 | Emergency preparedness and response | Emergency plan, drill reports, first aid and fire equipment checks |
| 9.1.2 | Evaluation of compliance | Dated compliance evaluation against the legal register |
| 10.2 | Incident, nonconformity and corrective action | Incident reports, root cause analysis, closed corrective actions |
If your procedures are numbered in the same order as the clauses, an auditor can trace each requirement quickly. The standard does not require that layout, but it saves time on both sides.
What do auditors check for worker participation and contractors?
Clause 5.4 covers consultation and participation of workers. ISO also lists the participation of workers and, where they exist, their representatives among the success factors in the standard's introduction. An auditor will want to see who represents workers, how often they meet and one or two examples where their input changed a risk control. On a site with several nationalities, show how briefings reach workers in languages they understand.
Clause 8.1.4 on procurement brings contractors inside your system. Their hazards and risks have to be identified and controlled, and you check that they meet your system's requirements. In practice, the auditor follows one subcontractor from prequalification through induction, permits and site inspections to the end of the job.
The construction risks to cover in those controls are the familiar ones: permits to work, lifting operations, work at height, plant and equipment checks, PPE, emergency response and incident investigation. Each needs a procedure, a form that is actually filled in on site and a person who checks it.
Which UAE rules sit alongside ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 does not replace UAE law. Clause 6.1.3 requires you to identify the legal requirements that apply, and clause 9.1.2 requires you to evaluate compliance with them. Federal and emirate rules both belong in that register.
At federal level, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announces the Midday Break each summer. In 2025 it banned work under direct sunlight and in open-air spaces from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm between 15 June and 15 September. Employers had to provide shaded rest areas, cooling equipment, drinking water and first-aid supplies.
Fines were AED 5,000 per worker, up to AED 50,000, with exemptions for work that cannot stop for technical reasons, such as pouring concrete. Check MoHRE's announcement for the current year.
In Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework (OSHAD SF) applies. Its latest version, 3.1, was issued in March 2017. The framework rests on Decree (42) of 2009 of the Chairman of the Executive Council, which set up the emirate's environment, health and safety management system.
The Abu Dhabi Public Health Center supervises it through sector regulatory authorities. For building and construction, the Department of Municipalities and Transport is the sector regulator and publishes a risk assessment model and a guideline for project HSE plans.
Dubai and the other emirates set their own requirements through their authorities and free zones. Confirm the rules for each site with the authority that licenses it, and record them in your legal register.
How do you run construction site HSE documents under one ISO 45001 system?
Contractors often rebuild HSE files for each project, and the result is a set of mismatched documents. A better pattern is one company system, certified to ISO 45001, with a short project HSE plan for each site that points back to it.
The company system holds the policy, the procedures for each high-risk activity, the forms, and the registers for risks, legal requirements and training. The project plan adds what is specific to that site: the client's rules, the emirate's regulator, emergency contacts, site layout and the subcontractors involved. In Abu Dhabi, align that plan with the DMT guideline for HSE plans.
Keep document control central. One revision of the permit-to-work form should be in use on every site, and superseded copies should be withdrawn. Auditors sample several projects, so two versions of the same form on two sites will show.
If you also run an environmental system, the same structure works for ISO 14001, which our ISO 14001:2026 guide covers. Related kits are in the environment, sustainability and occupational safety collection.
How AGS can help
AGS has two kits for safety management, in editable Microsoft Word:
- Occupational Health & Safety Management System (ISO 45001): 46 documents, including a manual, 16 procedures in clause order, 14 forms such as a permit to work and contractor evaluation, and 8 checklists.
- Construction HSE Policy & Management System Package: 80 documents covering ten site risk areas, each with a policy, procedure, work instruction, form, checklist, KPI sheet, risk register and records index.
Frequently asked questions
Is ISO 45001 certification mandatory in the UAE?
ISO 45001 is a voluntary standard. Clients and tenders may ask for it, while legal duties come from federal and emirate rules such as OSHAD SF in Abu Dhabi.
Should we wait for the 2027 edition before certifying?
No. Certification is to ISO 45001:2018 until the new edition is published, and a transition period is expected after that.
Can a document kit make a company certified?
No. Only a certification body can certify, after auditing a system that is implemented and producing records.
AGS provides independent documentation toolkits. This guide and the referenced kits are prepared to support ISO 45001 and UAE occupational safety requirements. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by ISO, MoHRE, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, the Department of Municipalities and Transport or any certification body. They do not guarantee any audit, inspection or certification outcome.
Reviewed October 2026. Facts checked against the sources current at publication.
