ISO 45001 certification in Japan

ISO 45001 certification in Japan at a glance

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare revised its guideline on occupational safety and health management systems, applied from July 2019, after ISO 45001 was adopted as JIS Q 45001 and the companion JIS Q 45100 was issued in September 2018. JIS Q 45100 lists specific safety and health activities and health measures drawn from Japanese practice, so a system built to both standards fits domestic expectations as well as the international one. The guideline itself remains rooted in the Industrial Safety and Health Regulations and does not require certification; the certificate is a choice driven by customers, contractors and group policy, particularly in construction and manufacturing. Certification is granted by an accredited certification body, for example one accredited by the Japan Accreditation Board, after stage 1 and stage 2 audits that look closely at hazard identification, worker participation and legal compliance. Sterling supports the system from the Tokyo office, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included in the engagement.

Who needs ISO 45001 in Japan, and what happens without it

In Japan the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Employers running an OSHMS under the MHLW guidelineThe guideline was revised in light of ISO 45001 and JIS Q 45100.
• Construction and manufacturing firmsCustomers and contractors ask for a certified OH&S management system.
• Groups standardising safety management across Japanese and overseas sitesISO 45001 gives one international framework, with JIS Q 45100 adding Japanese practice.

ISO 45001 requirements in Japan

Strip away the vocabulary and ISO 45001 requires a company to prove six things about keeping its people safe and healthy at work.

In Japan these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO 45001 explained →

• ISO 45001 requirements, clause by clause in plain language
• The documents ISO 45001 expects
• ISO 45001 checklist

How to get ISO 45001 certified in Japan

One team from the Tokyo office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Nationwide from the Tokyo office, on-site where the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against ISO 45001 and the Japanese requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• The ISO 45001 certification process, step by step
• ISO 45001 gap analysis
• ISO 45001 implementation plan
• ISO 45001 internal audit

How long does ISO 45001 certification take in Japan?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Japan these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Number of sites and high-risk activities in scope
• Risk assessment and legal register under the Industrial Safety and Health Act
• Worker consultation and participation evidence
• Certification body scheduling around Japanese holiday periods

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the ISO 45001 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does ISO 45001 certification cost in Japan?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In Japan these factors move both.

• Number of sites, employees and contractors
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Whether JIS Q 45100 items are included
• Integration with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of ISO 45001

ISO 45001 consultants and certification bodies in Japan

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 45001 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Japan are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

• Choosing an ISO 45001 certification body
• How to verify an ISO 45001 certificate

ISO 45001 in Japan: questions clients ask

More on ISO 45001 for Japanese organisations

• ISO 45001: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement ISO 45001
• Construction and engineering: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Facilities and security: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Healthcare: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Logistics and warehousing: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Manufacturing: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Oil, gas and energy: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Professional services and offices: ISO 45001 for the sector
• Sterling in Tokyo
• ISO 45001 certification in Japan and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Japanese businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Japan often combine ISO 45001 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Japan →