ISO 45001 and health and safety training for sites that answer to the OHS Act, the Department of Employment and Labour inspector and the retailer.

ISO 45001:2018, as amended by Amendment 1:2024, is the current international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. ISO is revising it: voting on the draft, ISO/DIS 45001, closed on 9 September 2026, and ISO expects the new edition in the first half of 2027. Until it is published, the 2018 edition with its amendment is the standard you build to and are audited against. ASC’s eight online courses come in two groups. Four are ISO 45001 courses: your part in the system, the duties the managing director signs up to, building the system, and auditing it. Four are law and competence courses that do not need the standard at all: the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations for the person who answers the inspector, awareness for every worker, the health and safety representative’s job, and hazard identification, risk assessment and incident investigation.

Four free resources on this page: a walk round a real-looking site, what Amendment 1:2024 changed and what the standard asks that a safety file does not, the South African laws an ISO 45001 system has to cover, and a learning path that says who does which course in which order.

Eight courses, priced in rand

The ISO 45001 courses

The law and competence courses

These four do not depend on ISO 45001. Every duty in them comes from the OHS Act, its regulations and the COID Act, cited by section or regulation, and each stands on its own for a site that has no plan to certify.

The learning path: who does which course, in which order

Start everyone on Health and Safety Awareness, at induction and as a refresher; it is the floor that every other course assumes. Then the people with a role go one of two ways: a designated representative or a committee member takes Health and Safety Representative, and the person who must answer the inspector and build the legal register takes South African Occupational Health and Safety Law. From there the ISO 45001 courses run in order: Introduction to ISO 45001:2018 for everyone who works inside the system, ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation for the one or two people who build it, and ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor for the people who test it. Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation sits beside the path, for anyone who writes assessments or investigates incidents, whether the site certifies or not. The managing director and the 16(2) assignees take ISO 45001 Management Awareness at any point, and the Law course if they want the regulations at depth. Each course stands alone; the order is the one that makes each next course easier.

Step	Who	Course	Price
1	Every worker, at induction	Health and Safety Awareness	R495
2a	Representatives and committee members	Health and Safety Representative	R895
2b	The SHEQ officer, the 16(2) assignee, the consultant	South African Occupational Health and Safety Law	R1 495
3	Everyone inside the system	Introduction to ISO 45001:2018	R1 195
4	The one or two people who build the system	ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation	R3 950
5	The people who audit it	ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor	R3 850, limited period special
Beside the path	Anyone who writes a risk assessment or investigates an incident	Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation	R1 495
Any point	The MD, directors and 16(2) assignees	ISO 45001 Management Awareness	R1 295

How each course checks your learning

Scenario checks. Short timed checks between lessons, set on a South African site, that ask for a decision rather than a definition.

Case study assessments. One scenario with data at the end of each module, and questions that make you use it.

Games between modules. Ten timed rounds; score 7 out of 10 to open the next module.

Marked the moment you submit. Every assessment is marked automatically. The pass mark is 70 percent, you have two timed attempts with a 24 hour break after a failed first attempt, and the feedback names the lesson to reread.

What does ISO 45001 look like on a real site?

Walk Mzansi Fresh Meals, a chilled ready meals plant in Kempton Park with 400 people on two shifts, 60 agency staff and a list of contractors. It is a training scenario built from real audit, inspection and incident patterns; no real company is named. In May 2026 an inspector issued a contravention notice and a prohibition notice here. Open each stop to see the hazard, who is exposed, the law, the clauses and the control that sits highest on the hierarchy.

Stop 1: the shared forklift and pedestrian aisle

Field	At this stop
Hazard	Six electric forklifts and three pallet jacks share an aisle with pickers. In 2025 a forklift struck an operator here: 14 days off, reported under section 24
Who is exposed	Pickers, agency staff on the night shift (employees of the site for the OHS Act, because the Act excludes the labour broker from the definition of employer), and the refrigeration technicians who walk through
The law	OHS Act section 8(2)(b), eliminate or reduce a hazard before resorting to personal protective equipment; Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015, lifting machines
ISO 45001	6.1.2.1 c) past incidents; 8.1.2; 6.2 objectives
Control	A barrier rail with gated crossing points, an engineering control under 8.1.2 c), in place of painted lines and a speed rule nobody checks

Stop 2: the line 2 sleeve applicator

Field	At this stop
Hazard	An unguarded nip point, named in the May 2026 contravention notice
Who is exposed	Line operators, line leaders who clear jams, and the night hygiene team
The law	General Machinery Regulations, regulation 3, dangerous parts within normal reach safeguarded; regulation 6(2), controls made inoperative by positive means during repairs
ISO 45001	8.1.1; 8.1.2 c); 10.2 for the notice itself
Control	A fixed guard interlocked with the drive, and personal locks for everyone who cleans or clears the machine

Stop 3: the dough mixer

Field	At this stop
Hazard	A mixer whose lid interlock had failed. The inspector prohibited its use until the interlock was repaired
Who is exposed	Operators in the cook area and anyone cleaning the bowl
The law	OHS Act section 30, the inspector’s power to prohibit dangerous work; Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015, mixing and agitating machines
ISO 45001	9.1.1 a) 4), the effectiveness of operational controls; 8.1.1
Control	The repaired interlock, an engineering control, kept working by a daily function test on the pre-start check

Stop 4: the cook area kettles

Field	At this stop
Hazard	Confined space entry for kettle cleaning at night, with steam and caustic residue. Permits exist for engineering only
Who is exposed	The hygiene team, 22h00 to 05h00
The law	General Safety Regulations, regulation 5: entry only after a competent person has tested the atmosphere and certified in writing that it is safe
ISO 45001	6.1.2.1 b) non-routine activities; 8.1.2 a)
Control	Fixed spray balls so the kettles clean in place and nobody enters, which eliminates the hazard. Until they are fitted: the agitator drive, steam and CIP chemical lines isolated and locked out, the atmosphere tested, a standby person at the manway with a rescue plan, and a permit with the isolations verified

Stop 5: the ammonia plant room

Field	At this stop
Hazard	A 1 800 kg ammonia charge. The leak procedure has never been drilled, and no night shift drill has ever been held. No hazardous chemical agents risk assessment has decided whether the four plant operators need medical surveillance
Who is exposed	Plant operators, the refrigeration contractor’s two technicians, everyone on site and people near it
The law	Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents (GN R280 of 2021): the regulation 5 risk assessment decides whether regulation 7 medical surveillance applies, since ammonia is not one of the agents that triggers it on its own; the Major Hazard Installation Regulations, 2022 where a site holds listed substances above the prescribed quantity. If the charge makes the site a major hazard installation, its notification was due by 31 January 2025 and is overdue
ISO 45001	6.1.2.1 d) potential emergencies; 8.2 a) to g); 9.1.1
Control	A planned response drilled on both shifts, the fire service briefed on the plant room, and a recorded decision on medical surveillance for the operators

Stop 6: the chemical store

Field	At this stop
Hazard	Caustic, chlorinated alkaline, peracetic acid and nitric acid decanted for CIP. In 2025 a caustic splash to the face cost 21 days off. No hazardous chemical agents risk assessment since 2021
Who is exposed	The hygiene team, the chemical supplier’s technician
The law	Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents (GN R280 of 2021), regulation 5, risk assessment at intervals not exceeding two years; General Safety Regulations, regulation 3, eyewash and deluge showers where there is a corrosive splash risk
ISO 45001	6.1.2.2 a); 8.1.2; 7.2
Control	A closed transfer pump from the drum, an engineering control, with a face shield at the point of use as the PPE behind it

Stop 7: the packing hall

Field	At this stop
Hazard	Noise measured at 86 dB(A) at the flow wrappers in 2024, and no audiometry since. Repetitive assembly work on the lines
Who is exposed	Packers and line staff on both shifts
The law	Noise Exposure Regulations, 2024, which replaced the 2003 noise regulations; Ergonomics Regulations, 2019, regulation 6, ergonomic risk assessment
ISO 45001	6.1.2.1 h) new knowledge; 8.1.2; 9.1.1
Control	An acoustic enclosure, an engineering control, with hearing protection use checks behind it. Audiometry checks the controls; it is not one

Stop 8: the cold store construction project

Field	At this stop
Hazard	A project planned from January 2027 with up to 40 builders on site: excavation, work at height, mobile cranes. The contractor has a safety file of its own that the site has not reviewed
Who is exposed	The builders, the site’s own workers, delivery drivers and visitors
The law	Construction Regulations, 2014, regulation 5, the client’s baseline risk assessment and health and safety specification; regulation 4, the contractor’s notice at least 7 days before excavation or work at height; OHS Act section 37(2)
ISO 45001	8.1.3 management of change; 8.1.4.2 contractors
Control	The contractor’s file reviewed against the client’s specification, coordination meetings, and permits for the high risk work

Why health and safety, when food safety is clean

Most food sites in South Africa already run a food safety system to a GFSI benchmarked scheme, and they run it well. But GFSI benchmarking covers food safety. Where those schemes touch staff facilities or protective clothing, the purpose is to protect the food. A hairnet protects the product; a cut resistant glove protects the hand. The same change room serves R638 and the Facilities Regulations, and the same chemical can contaminate food under one law and burn a cleaner under another.

So the inspector’s questions go unanswered by the food safety file. Who holds the 16(2) letter for the ammonia plant? When did the committee last meet? Where is the hazardous chemical agents risk assessment, and is it less than two years old? Was the night shift ever drilled? Your food safety system answers none of these. An OH&S management system does, and it sits on top of the law rather than beside it.

The OHS Act applies whether you are certified or not.

A certificate is not a defence; reasonable steps are.

A safety file is a record. A system is what keeps it true.

Is your site ready for ISO 45001?

Eight questions, yes or no. Answer for the site as it is today, not as the procedure says. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.

1. Is every section 16(2) assignment written down, and can each assignee say what was assigned? (The Act does not require writing, but it is your evidence.) Yes No
2. Has the health and safety committee met in the last three months, with representatives covering every area and shift, including the night shift? Yes No
3. Was your risk assessment reviewed after your last serious incident, with non-managerial workers taking part? Yes No
4. Do you have an OH&S legal register that says how each instrument applies on your site, carries the 2024 noise and physical agents regulations, and has been evaluated for compliance in the last year? Yes No
5. Is every incident that needed more than first aid recorded, investigated within seven days, and taken to a cause other than “did not follow procedure”? Yes No
6. Has your emergency response been tested on every shift, including at night, in the last twelve months? Yes No
7. Does every contractor on site have OH&S selection criteria applied, and a written section 37(2) agreement where you rely on one? Yes No
8. Has top management reviewed OH&S performance against the inputs in clause 9.3, and told workers what was decided? Yes No

Answer the questions to see your result.

How to read it: 0 to 3 yes answers, you have a safety file rather than a system, so start the builder on ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation, the managing director on ISO 45001 Management Awareness, the floor on Health and Safety Awareness and then Introduction to ISO 45001:2018, and the representatives on Health and Safety Representative. 4 to 6, the bones are there; the Implementation course closes the gaps, and every no is a line in its gap assessment. 7 or 8, you are close; train your auditors on ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor and test the system before a certification body does.

What Amendment 1:2024 changed, and what the standard asks that a safety file does not

ISO 45001:2018/Amd 1:2024, Climate action changes, was published on 23 February 2024. It added one sentence at the end of clause 4.1: “The organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.” And one note at the end of 4.2: “Relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change.” That is the whole amendment. It does not make climate change relevant for every site; it makes deciding a requirement.

In the course case study the decision is yes: heat stress in the packing hall in summer, flooding of the delivery yard, and power interruptions that affect the ammonia plant safety systems. The managing director records the decision, the reasons, the date and a review date a year on. An auditor will ask to see the decision, the reasons, who made it and when it will be looked at again.

The bigger gap on most South African sites is older than the amendment. A safety file holds a risk assessment, appointment letters, certificates and training registers. The standard asks for the processes that keep those true.

A safety file usually holds	ISO 45001 also asks for	Clause
A safety policy signed years ago by a previous MD	A policy with six commitments, including consultation and participation of workers, communicated and available	5.2
A list of representatives	A process for consultation and participation at all applicable levels, with obstacles and barriers such as language and fear of reprisal removed	5.4
A baseline risk assessment by a consultant	Hazard identification that is ongoing and proactive, with non-managerial workers taking part	6.1.2.1, 5.4 e) 2)
A copy of the Act	Legal requirements determined, kept up to date, and evaluated for compliance at a set frequency	6.1.3, 9.1.2
Nothing	OH&S objectives with plans, owners and indicators	6.2
Permits for engineering	Management of change for new equipment, processes, work organisation and the work force	8.1.3
The contractor’s own safety file	OH&S criteria for selecting contractors, and coordination on hazards in both directions	8.1.4.2
Incident reports that blame the operator	Investigation with workers taking part, causes, similar cases, the risk assessment reviewed, and effectiveness checked	10.2
Nothing	Internal audit, with consultation on the programme and results reported to workers, and a management review chaired by top management	9.2, 9.3

Which South African laws does an ISO 45001 system have to cover?

ISO 45001 clause 6.1.3 requires you to determine the legal requirements that apply to your hazards and your system, and 9.1.2 requires you to evaluate compliance with them. For a food manufacturer, a packhouse or a restaurant group, these are the instruments that come up first. The list reflects the law as at 8 October 2026; it is training, not legal advice.

Law	What it means on a site	Where it lands in ISO 45001
Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, sections 8 and 9	A working environment safe and without risk to health, as far as is reasonably practicable, for employees and for others affected; eliminate or reduce a hazard before resorting to PPE	6.1.2, 8.1.2
OHS Act, sections 13 and 14	Make employees aware of hazards and precautions; employees take reasonable care, obey the rules and report unsafe situations and incidents	7.3, 7.4
OHS Act, sections 17 to 20	Health and safety representatives where there are more than 20 employees; a committee where there are two or more representatives, meeting at least once every three months	5.4
OHS Act, section 24, with General Administrative Regulations 8 and 9	Report certain incidents to the provincial director, within seven days on WCL 1 or WCL 2, the most serious forthwith; keep the Annexure 1 record for three years and investigate within seven days	10.2
OHS Act, sections 26 and 37	No victimisation for doing what the Act allows or requires; the employer is presumed to have done what its employees and mandataries did, unless it proves the conditions, and a written 37(2) agreement changes that for mandataries	5.1 k), 7.3 f), 8.1.4.2
General Safety Regulations, 1986	PPE free of charge, first aid, confined spaces, work at height, stacking, hot work, and since March 2025 housekeeping, flooding precautions, fire precautions and egress	8.1.2, 8.2
Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents (GN R280 of 2021)	Risk assessment at intervals not exceeding two years, air monitoring where limits apply, medical surveillance where regulation 7(1) applies, training, GHS labels and safety data sheets	6.1.2, 7.2, 9.1.1
Noise Exposure Regulations, 2024 and Physical Agents Regulations, 2024	Replaced the 2003 noise regulations and the 1987 Environmental Regulations for Workplaces on 6 September 2026, 18 months after publication in Government Gazette 52226 of 6 March 2025: noise, heat and cold stress, vibration and lighting assessed and monitored, with physical agents training at least annually and the risk assessment reviewed at least every 24 months	6.1.3, 9.1.1
Ergonomics Regulations, 2019	Ergonomic risk assessment by a competent person, repeated at intervals not exceeding two years	6.1.2
General Machinery Regulations, 1988 and Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015	Machinery safeguarded, positive isolation during repairs, and lifting machines such as forklifts controlled	8.1.2
Pressure Equipment Regulations, 2009 and Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009	Boilers and pressure vessels inspected by an approved inspection authority; a valid certificate of compliance for the electrical installation	8.1.1, 9.1.2
Construction Regulations, 2014	A client’s baseline risk assessment and health and safety specification for building work it commissions	8.1.3, 8.1.4.2
Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993, as amended from 2026, and its regulations of 6 March 2026	Registration with the Compensation Fund, and an accident reported to the Commissioner within seven days of notice under section 39. Since 1 April 2026, law firms report, a report later than that can cost an administrative penalty of 10 percent of the employee’s annual earnings. The 2026 regulations add a return to work duty and rehabilitation records kept for at least 30 years	6.1.3, 10.2
Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, section 17	Regular work after 23h00 and before 06h00 brings duties to inform employees of the health and safety hazards and to arrange a medical examination on request	6.1.2.1 a), 6.1.3

The appointments the law creates

Clause 5.3 asks for roles, responsibilities and authorities to be assigned and communicated. On a South African site, part of that answer is set by law.

Appointment	Created by	What to check
Chief executive officer	OHS Act section 16(1)	The person responsible for the overall management and control of the business; cannot be delegated away
Section 16(2) assignees	OHS Act section 16(2)	Assigned to a person under the CEO’s control, who acts under the CEO’s control and directions; the CEO is not relieved. Put it in writing, naming the duties: the Act does not require that, but it is your evidence
Health and safety representatives	OHS Act section 17, General Administrative Regulations 6 and 7	At least one for every 50 employees or part of 50, one for every 100 in shops and offices; designated in writing for a period, after an agreement on nomination or election; only employees employed full time at the workplace and acquainted with its conditions and activities are eligible (section 17(4))
Health and safety committee	OHS Act section 19	Established where two or more representatives are designated; meets at least once every three months (section 19(4)); section 20(2) records kept at least three years (General Administrative Regulation 5)
First aiders	General Safety Regulations, regulation 3(4)	Where more than 10 employees work, at least one certified first aider readily available for every group of up to 50 employees, up to 100 in shops and offices
Competent person for machinery	General Machinery Regulations, regulation 2	A full-time competent person designated in writing for each premises where machinery is used
Competent person for confined spaces	General Safety Regulations, regulation 5	Tests the atmosphere and certifies in writing before entry
Stacking supervisor	General Safety Regulations, regulation 8	Stacks built under the personal supervision of a person with specific knowledge and experience of stacking
Employee Health and Wellness Representative	COIDA rehabilitation, reintegration and return to work regulations of 6 March 2026, regulation 3(1), as law firms report them	Every employer appoints one. New in 2026, so most safety files do not have it yet

The case site has 400 employees and 60 agency staff. The Act excludes a labour broker from the definition of employer, so the agency staff count as the site’s employees: 460 people outside shops and offices need at least ten representatives. It appointed nine; three left and were not replaced, and the committee last met in February 2026.

Which course do I need?

If this is you	The course	Price
I am a new employee, an agency worker or a contractor’s worker, or I supervise them, and I need the basics of safety at work	Health and Safety Awareness	R495
I work on the line or supervise a team on an ISO 45001 site, and an auditor or inspector may ask me about my job	Health and Safety Awareness, then Introduction to ISO 45001:2018	R495, then R1 195
I have just been designated a health and safety representative, or I sit on the committee	Health and Safety Representative	R895
I am the SHEQ officer, or the 16(2) assignee, and I must build the legal register and answer the inspector	South African Occupational Health and Safety Law	R1 495
I write risk assessments or investigate incidents, and our 2021 baseline is about to be tested	Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation	R1 495
I am new in a SHEQ coordinator role and need the law and the whole standard	South African Occupational Health and Safety Law, then Introduction to ISO 45001:2018, then Understanding and Implementation	R1 495, R1 195, then R3 950
I am the managing director, a director or a section 16(2) assignee	ISO 45001 Management Awareness	R1 295
I will be interviewed on leadership under clause 5.1 or chair the management review	ISO 45001 Management Awareness	R1 295
I have to build the system, or join it to our ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 system	ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation	R3 950
A customer questionnaire asks for ISO 45001 and we have a safety file	Understanding and Implementation for the builder, Management Awareness for the MD, Awareness and then the Introduction for the floor	R3 950, R1 295, R495, R1 195
I will run or join OH&S internal audits	ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor	R3 850, limited period special
I advise clients on OH&S management systems	Occupational Health and Safety Law, Understanding and Implementation, then Internal Auditor	R1 495, R3 950, then R3 850
We are not certifying, but the inspector has been and we have a safety file	Occupational Health and Safety Law for the SHEQ officer, Health and Safety Representative for the representatives, Awareness for the floor, HIRA for whoever writes the assessments	R1 495, R895, R495, R1 495

One structure, several standards

ISO 45001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 share the harmonised structure. On one site, the context in 4.1, the interested parties in 4.2, the risks and opportunities in 6.1, support in clause 7, internal audit in 9.2, management review in 9.3 and improvement in clause 10 can run as one set of processes, with one context register, one audit programme and one review. The OH&S parts that have no twin, worker participation in 5.4, hazard identification in 6.1.2 and the hierarchy of controls in 8.1.2, stay whole. The case site holds FSSC 22000 and is building an ISO 9001 system from October 2026, and the Implementation course builds ISO 45001 into the same structure.

See the ISO 9001:2026 courses · See the ISO 14001:2026 courses

Free guides

Introduction to ISO 45001:2018

• What is ISO 45001? A plain guide for South African employers
• ISO 45001 awareness training: what every worker and supervisor must know

ISO 45001 Management Awareness

• The OHS Act and ISO 45001: the legal duties a management system has to carry
• Section 16(2) appointments, 37(2) agreements and what the MD personally signs up to

ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation

• How to implement ISO 45001: a step by step plan for South African sites
• Hazard identification and risk assessment under ISO 45001: HIRA registers that hold up with inspectors and auditors

ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor

• How to become an ISO 45001 internal auditor in South Africa
• ISO 45001 internal audit checklist: questions and evidence clause by clause

South African Occupational Health and Safety Law

• What the inspector asks for first: the records a Department of Employment and Labour inspection opens with
• The 16(2) assignment is not a delegation of blame

Health and Safety Awareness

• Section 14: what the law expects of every worker
• Why the near miss you did not report matters

Health and Safety Representative

• Your first month as a health and safety representative
• What the committee may ask the employer, and what the employer must do

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation

• Operator error is not a cause
• Baseline, issue based and task based: which risk assessment do you owe

Questions people ask

Is ISO 45001 a legal requirement in South Africa?

No. ISO 45001 is a voluntary standard, and no provision of the OHS Act requires it or any certification. The SABS publishes it as SANS/ISO 45001 and describes it as a voluntary standard that does not replace regulatory requirements. The OHS Act and the COID Act apply to your site whether it is certified or not.

Does an ISO 45001 certificate count with a Department of Employment and Labour inspector?

Not as a defence. The Act makes no mention of certification, and nothing in it reduces an employer’s duties or an inspector’s powers because a site is certified. What counts under section 37(1)(c) is whether all reasonable steps were taken. A working system is how you show that you took them.

Which edition of ISO 45001 is current, and is a new one coming?

ISO 45001:2018, first published in March 2018, with Amendment 1:2024. ISO is revising it: voting on the draft, ISO/DIS 45001, closed on 9 September 2026, and ISO expects to publish the new edition in the first half of 2027. No transition period has been set yet; certification bodies expect three years, as was set for ISO 9001:2026, and a 2018 certificate stays valid during the transition. Until the new edition is published, the 2018 edition with its amendment is the current standard, and it is what the courses teach. Nothing in these courses speculates on the final text.

Is climate change now a requirement in ISO 45001?

Deciding is. Amendment 1:2024 added to clause 4.1: “The organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.” It also added a note to 4.2 that relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change. Whether it is relevant is your decision, and you should record it with the reasons.

Can I do ISO 45001 training online?

Yes. All eight ASC courses, the four on ISO 45001 and the four on South African health and safety law and competence, are online and self paced, with lifetime access, timed assessments marked automatically, and a certificate of completion with a verification code.

How much does ISO 45001 training cost in South Africa?

At ASC: Introduction to ISO 45001:2018 is R1 195, ISO 45001 Management Awareness is R1 295, ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation is R3 950, and ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor is R4 670, now R3 850 as a limited period special. The four law and competence courses are Health and Safety Awareness at R495, Health and Safety Representative at R895, South African Occupational Health and Safety Law at R1 495 and Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation at R1 495. Prices are in rand with no VAT added. When we checked other providers’ published price lists on 8 October 2026, comparable ISO 45001, OHS Act, representative and HIRA courses from South African providers, e-learning, webinar and classroom, were priced from about R900 to over R16 000, depending on length and format, some including VAT and some not.

How long does it take to implement ISO 45001?

It depends on the size of the site and how much already works. The main case site in the courses plans about a year from its gap assessment to a stage 2 audit. Certification bodies usually expect records of a running system, including internal audits and a management review, before stage 2; that is their practice, not a requirement of the standard. Accredited certification bodies work to ISO/IEC 17021-1, which defines major and minor nonconformities and sets surveillance audits at least once a calendar year in the three year cycle. Choose a body accredited for ISO 45001 by SANAS, South Africa’s national accreditation body, or by another Global ACI (formerly IAF) signatory, and check it on IAF CertSearch.

Does ASC offer an ISO 45001 lead auditor course?

No. ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor trains you to audit your own organisation’s system under clause 9.2, on ISO 19011:2026 guidance. It is not a certification body auditor qualification.

We are certified to FSSC 22000. Do we need ISO 45001 as well?

No standard says so, but your customers may. GFSI benchmarked schemes are food safety schemes, and any worker safety content in them is incidental. They are not a substitute for an OH&S management system, and they do not answer the OHS Act.

Do workers have a right to refuse dangerous work?

Not in the OHS Act. That right is in the Mine Health and Safety Act and applies only on mines. The OHS Act has no general express right to refuse or leave dangerous work; section 26 protects an employee from victimisation for doing what the Act allows or requires, and an inspector may prohibit dangerous work under section 30. ISO 45001 clause 7.3 f) requires workers to be made aware of their ability to remove themselves from imminent and serious danger and of the arrangements that protect them, so a certified site has to set that up in its own system.

Do I have to do the Introduction before the Implementation course?

No. Each course stands alone. If your job is to build the system, go straight to Understanding and Implementation. The usual pattern is one or two people on Implementation, the managers on Management Awareness, and everyone else on Awareness and then the Introduction. The Internal Auditor course recommends the Introduction or working familiarity with the standard first. The learning path above sets out the order that makes each course easier.

Which of the courses are not ISO 45001 courses?

Four of the eight: South African Occupational Health and Safety Law, Health and Safety Awareness, Health and Safety Representative, and Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation. Every duty in them comes from the OHS Act, its regulations and the COID Act, cited by section or regulation, and ISO 45001 is mentioned only in a lesson or two that show where a legal duty sits in a management system. A site with no plan to certify can take them on their own.

Is there a course for health and safety representatives?

Yes. Health and Safety Representative, FS66, covers sections 17 to 20 and 26 of the OHS Act, the General Administrative Regulations agreement, and the work of inspecting, reporting, examining incidents with the employer and taking items to the committee, with a workshop in the Representative’s Inspection and Report tool. The Act does not prescribe a course; section 18(3) requires the employer to provide the training a representative may reasonably require and that has been agreed upon, so check your site’s agreement.

Is there a short course for every worker?

Yes. Health and Safety Awareness, FS65, is ten lessons of eight to twelve minutes in plain words, for every employee, agency worker and contractor’s worker at induction, at R495. It covers section 14 duties, hazards, controls, PPE, permits, speaking up, reporting and emergencies, and gives the employer a certificate for the training file.

Do I need a site of my own to do the practical work?

No. The courses run on case sites with the data supplied: the tools carry the Mzansi ready meals plant, and the lessons give the data for a citrus packhouse and a restaurant group as Implementation workshop variants, and two simulated audits on the ready meals plant in the Internal Auditor workshop. The Law, Representative and HIRA courses build their registers, inspections and investigations on the same site in their tools. You may use your own site’s data if you have permission.

Does this apply outside food?

Yes. ISO 45001 applies to any organisation of any size in any sector. The examples come from food sites because that is where ASC’s practitioners work. The OHS Act does not apply to mines, which fall under the Mine Health and Safety Act, and the courses do not cover mines.

When can I enrol, and can we train a team?

Any time. The courses are self paced, so you start the day you enrol. For a team from one organisation, group arrangements are available on request through WhatsApp or the contact page; sites often enrol the whole floor on Health and Safety Awareness and all their representatives on Health and Safety Representative together.

What certificate do I get?

A certificate of completion from ASC Food Safety Consultants that names the course, the code and the date, with a verification code an employer can check. It is issued when you have passed every assessment at 70 percent. It is not a certification of your organisation and not a lead auditor qualification.

Are these courses SAQA accredited?

No. There is no SAQA unit standard specific to ISO 45001, and ISO management system courses in South Africa, these included, are short courses that are not on the NQF. What you receive is ASC’s certificate of completion with a verification code.

Who marks the assessments, and how quickly do I get results?

Every assessment is marked automatically the moment you submit. If you do not pass, the feedback names what to fix and the lesson to reread, and you may try again after 24 hours.

About ASC

ASC Food Safety Consultants’ courses are written by practitioners who implement and audit management systems on South African sites, including OH&S systems in food plants, packhouses and food service, and each course is reviewed by a panel of ASC practitioners before release. Every clause reference in the ISO 45001 courses was checked against the published text of ISO 45001:2018 and Amendment 1:2024, and every legal reference against a verified legal reference dated 8 October 2026, reviewed by a regulatory specialist. ASC works from offices in Gqeberha, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The lead trainer is Mthokozisi Nkosi, an HPCSA registered Environmental Health Practitioner and a registered lead auditor with Exemplar Global and IRCA.

Pick your course, or tell us about your team.

The ISO 45001 courses: Introduction to ISO 45001:2018, R1 195. ISO 45001 Management Awareness, R1 295. ISO 45001:2018 Understanding and Implementation, R3 950. ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor, R3 850 as a limited period special, normally R4 670. The law and competence courses: Health and Safety Awareness, R495. Health and Safety Representative, R895. South African Occupational Health and Safety Law, R1 495. Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation, R1 495. Prices in rand, no VAT added. Self paced, lifetime access.

Enrol: start the Awareness course Enrol: start the Introduction Enrol: build the system Train a team

ISO 45001:2018 is a standard published by ISO. ASC’s courses are independent training products and are not approved or endorsed by ISO, by any certification body or by the Department of Employment and Labour, and they are training, not legal advice. ISO 45001 is voluntary; the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 applies whether or not a site is certified. Last updated 8 October 2026.