Top 10 ISO 45001 Audit Findings From a Former Certification Auditor

Common ISO 45001 Nonconformities, Health & Safety Audit Findings & Certification Mistakes

ISO 45001 is designed to help organisations prevent work-related injury and ill health whilst creating safer workplaces for employees, contractors and visitors.

Having conducted certification audits across manufacturing, engineering, construction, logistics, facilities management and professional services organisations, certain findings appear time and time again regardless of industry sector.

The good news is that most ISO 45001 nonconformities are entirely preventable when organisations understand what auditors are looking for and maintain effective Health & Safety management systems.

Below are some of the most common ISO 45001 audit findings I encountered whilst working as a third-party Certification Auditor.

A cartoon illustration of a young man with glasses and curly hair, smiling and pointing with his right hand, while holding a large black rectangular object with a thin red line along its edge.

Test Your Knowledge

Think you're ready for an ISO 45001 audit?

Try our free ISO 45001 Nonconformity Challenge below and see how many common findings you can identify.

Spot the Nonconformity — ISO 45001 — AlineX

AlineX

Question 1 of 10

Score: 0

Top 10 ISO 45001 Audit Findings

1. Risk Assessments Not Maintained

Outdated risk assessments remain one of the most common ISO 45001 findings. Auditors frequently identify assessments that have not been reviewed following changes to activities, equipment or working practices.

2. Corrective Actions Overdue

Many organisations identify issues but fail to close them effectively. Common findings include overdue actions, unclear responsibilities and repeated issues occurring without effective root cause analysis.

3. Poor Employee Consultation

ISO 45001 places significant emphasis on worker participation. Auditors often identify limited evidence of consultation, safety meetings or employee involvement in Health & Safety improvements.

4. Training & Competence Gaps

Missing training records, expired qualifications and inadequate competency assessments are regularly identified during certification and surveillance audits.

5. Incomplete Workplace Inspections

Inspection programmes are often established but not consistently completed. Auditors commonly find overdue inspections, incomplete records and unaddressed findings.

6. Weak Incident Investigations

Many organisations investigate accidents but fail to identify root causes. Repeat incidents, incomplete investigations and ineffective corrective actions are common findings.

7. Emergency Arrangements Not Tested

Emergency procedures frequently exist on paper but have not been tested. Fire drills, evacuation exercises and emergency response arrangements should be periodically reviewed and practised.

8. Contractor Management Issues

Contractor controls remain a common weakness. Findings often include missing inductions, inadequate competence checks and insufficient monitoring of contractor activities.

9. Hazard Reporting Systems Not Used

Auditors frequently find hazard reporting systems that employees either do not understand or rarely use. Effective reporting helps organisations identify risks before incidents occur.

10. Management Reviews Lack H&S Focus

Management Reviews should demonstrate leadership involvement in Health & Safety performance. Common findings include missing performance data, objectives, audit results and legal compliance reviews.

Illustration of a man with curly hair and glasses, wearing a hard hat and high-visibility vest with 'H&S' on it, smiling with arms crossed.

Why These Findings Matter

Most ISO 45001 findings occur because organisations become focused on documentation rather than implementation.

The strongest Health & Safety Management Systems are not necessarily those with the most procedures. They are the systems that employees understand, management actively support and operational teams consistently follow.

By understanding the types of findings commonly raised during certification audits, organisations can focus their efforts on the areas that genuinely improve workplace safety and reduce risk.