ISO 45001 Officially Supersedes AS/NZS 4801

As a growing number of Australian businesses turn to AS/NZS ISO 45001, Standards Australia (SA) has officially classified AS/NZS 4801:2001, Occupational health and safety management systems as “available superseded”.

The classification means the Standard has been officially superseded but remains available because it is referenced in existing Australian legislation and regulations.

In October 2018, Standards Australia adopted the new ISO Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, standard as AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 (see related article).

Australian businesses were then warned that existing safety standards would be phased out and that they would be given a three-year transition period to move from AS/NZS 4801 to AS/NZS 45001.

SA head of stakeholder engagement, Daniel Chidgey, said AS/NZS ISO 45001 had given health and safety professionals a new way to manage the many safety risks in workplaces across the country.

“The objective of this standard is to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities which is exactly why Standards Australia has been working with industry, government and the general public to ensure the current standard available to Australian organisations contains the most relevant and up to date information available.”

SA said the Technical Committee responsible for these standards, SF-001 Occupational Health & Safety Management, has met many times to discuss 4801 and 45001 and how the two interact with legislation across the country.

It said that while AS/NZS 4801:2001 remains a current Australian Standard cited in Australian legislation today, it is up to government authorities to decide whether available superseded standards should be referenced in legislation.

SF-001 committee member, David Solomon, said businesses should consider AS/NZS ISO 4500 the most up-to-date Standard for safety management systems.

“After much consideration, the decision from the technical committee was made for the standard to be available superseded. However, AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 is the most current Standard for Safety Management Systems, and should be considered by organisations wishing to maintain a contemporary Safety Management System.”