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The aim of this ISO 45001:2018 lead auditor training course is to provide delegates with the knowledge and skills required to perform first, second and third-party audits of occupational health and safety management systems against ISO 45001:2018 in accordance with ISO 19011:2026 and ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, as applicable. All references in this document to ISO standards are to the current versions unless otherwise stated. Delegates who successfully complete this CQI and IRCA or Exemplar Global Certified ISO 45001:2018 Lead Auditor (OHSMS) Training course (within the five years prior to making an application to become a certificated auditor) will satisfy the training requirements for initial certification as a CQI-IRCA or Exemplar Global OHSMS auditor.
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Recommend prior knowledge: FD 127 ISO 45001:2018 Foundation (OHSMS) Training Course
Management systems
The Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle
The core elements of a management system and the interrelationship between top management responsibility, policy, objectives, planning, implementation, measurement, review and continual improvement.
a) Occupational health and safety management
The concepts of managing occupational health and safety through hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control and compliance with legal requirements and other requirements.
The relationship between occupational health and safety management and the provision of safe and healthy workplaces, the prevention of work-related injury and ill health, and the proactive improvement of health and safety performance.
Common examples of relevant national and local OH&S legislation and requirements
ISO 45001
b) Knowledge of the requirements of ISO 45001: 2018 and the commonly used occupational health and safety management terms and definitions, as given in ISO 45001:2018, which may be gained by completing a CQI and IRCA or Exemplar Global Certified ISO 45001:2018 Foundation OHSMS training course or the equivalent.
To participate in the virtual training sessions, you will need:
Advance your career in environment auditing with our ISO 14001:2026 Auditor/Lead Auditor Training Course, designed for professionals aiming to lead successful external and internal audits or delegates who have the experience but who may not have an Internationally Certified CQI-IRCA or Exemplar Global training certificate. This comprehensive program is available in In-Person/ Classroom, Online Live/Virtual or Blended Learning formats, ensuring flexibility for your learning needs. Through this training, you'll gain the essential skills and knowledge to confidently lead audit teams and assess conformity with the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard. Whether you're stepping into quality auditing or looking to enhance your expertise, this ISO 45001:2018 Auditor/Lead Auditor course provides the tools to achieve excellence. Start your journey toward becoming a certified leader in Occupational Health and Safety auditing today!

Knowledge
Explain the purpose of an occupational health and safety management system, of occupational health and safety management system standards, of management system audit, of third-party certification, and the business benefits of improved performance of the occupational health and safety management system as part of the iso 45001 lead auditor course.
Explain the role of an auditor to plan, conduct, report and follow up an occupational health and safety management system audit in accordance with ISO 19011:2026 and ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, as appropriate as part of iso 45001:2018 lead auditor training.
Skills
Plan, conduct, report and follow-up an audit of an occupational health and safety management system to establish conformity (or otherwise) with ISO 45001, and in accordance with ISO 19011:2026 and ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 where appropriate.
Yes, this is a CQI-IRCA Certified Lead Auditor programme under Course ID 2295. The course is designed to build and verify your competence to audit a complete Occupational Health & Safety Management System, known as OH&SMS, against ISO 45001:2018. It also includes formal assessment requirements aligned with Auditor and Lead Auditor expectations.
This course is intended for professionals who need to audit a complete Occupational Health & Safety Management System against the requirements of ISO 45001:2018. It is particularly suitable for learners involved in second-party audits, such as customer or supplier audits, and third-party audits, including certification-focused audit activities. It is also suitable for those preparing to work in these audit environments. As this is a five-day intensive training programme with practical audit activities and a final examination, it is best suited to learners who are ready for a more advanced and demanding level of auditor training.
Yes, before registering for this course, you should already be familiar with the requirements of ISO 45001:2018, or you should have completed ISO 45001 OH&SMS Fundamentals training beforehand. This background knowledge is required because it provides the essential foundation needed for Auditor and Lead Auditor training. It also helps ensure that you can fully engage with the full audit lifecycle activities covered during the course, including planning, conducting audits, reporting audit results, and following up on audit outcomes.
This course is the right level if your goal is to develop the competence to perform and lead audits of a complete ISO 45001 OH&SMS, rather than simply understand the standard requirements. The course is structured around the full audit lifecycle, including planning, conducting, reporting, and follow-up. If you are new to ISO 45001:2018, then a Fundamentals course would be the best starting point before progressing to Lead Auditor training.
The delivery format for your course will be confirmed at the time of registration. If your cohort is delivered virtually, the training will take place on the Zoom platform, and you will receive the relevant joining instructions, access details, and platform guidance in advance. To participate effectively, you will need a stable internet connection and a laptop, desktop, iPad, or other tablet device that supports the required platform, together with working audio and an active web camera.
The course is practical and skills-focused, not just theory-based. It includes consultant-facilitated activities and follows a structured audit approach aligned with the ISO 19011 audit lifecycle. There is also a strong emphasis on audit tools, audit techniques, auditor behaviours, and the responsibilities expected of a Lead Auditor.
Yes, learners complete a facilitated audit covering the full audit lifecycle. During this practical audit work, learners apply audit planning, evidence gathering, findings development, and reporting methods in practice. Competence is developed and verified through structured course activities and applied audit work.
Yes, the course includes a final CQI-IRCA online, computer-marked examination. The exam forms part of the formal assessment requirements for successful course completion. Successful completion of both the course and examination supports achievement of the programme outcome in line with CQI-IRCA requirements.
After completing the course, you will be able to plan, conduct, report, and follow up audits of a complete Occupational Health & Safety Management System against ISO 45001:2018. You will also be able to apply the ISO 19011 audit lifecycle across different OH&SMS audit scenarios in a structured and professional manner. In addition, you will be able to deliver evidence-based audit findings and conclusions that support OH&SMS effectiveness, conformity, and continual improvement.
This Lead Auditor course focuses on auditing a complete OH&SMS through a structured, facilitated audit approach. It places strong emphasis on consistent interpretation of ISO 45001:2018 requirements, together with the evaluation of health and safety controls, process effectiveness, and OH&SMS performance. The course also provides practical development of auditor tools, techniques, behaviours, and the leadership capability expected of professional Lead Auditors.
An ISO 45001 Internal Auditor course focuses on auditing an organization’s own occupational health and safety management system. An ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course prepares the Auditor/Lead Auditor to conduct external audits and goes further by developing the participant’s audit knowledge and skills needed to plan, manage, conduct, report complete audits, managing post audit activities including leading and managing an audit team.
ISO 45001:2018 Auditor/Lead Auditor training typically provides an overview of the requirements of ISO 45001:2018, occupational health and safety management system auditing, audit principles, audit initiation, planning and preparation, risk-based auditing, identifying and collecting objective evidence, identifying conformities/nonconformities, audit reporting, corrections corrective actions, and audit follow-up activities.
An ISO 45001 Auditor/Lead Auditor course develops Auditor/Lead Auditor practical auditing skills, including initiating and planning audit activities, conducting audits, gathering and evaluating objective evidence, assessing conformity, documenting audit findings, preparing the audit conclusions statement/audit report, and managing follow-up activities. These skills help participants conduct systematic and effective OH&S management system audits.
Yes. ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training is suitable for occupational health and safety professionals, internal auditors, management system auditors, compliance professionals, consultants, quality and HSE personnel, and others involved in implementing, maintaining, or auditing an ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system.
Completing an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor course can strengthen your skills and professional profile for roles involving occupational health and safety auditing, internal audits, compliance, HSE management, supplier audits, and management system consulting. The training can also support professionals seeking to develop their competence in leading ISO 45001 audits.
To participate in the virtual training sessions, you will need:



Upon successful completion, each learner shall receive a digital Certificate of Completion that is recognized globally.