Safety Management Systems (SMS)

The Safety Management Systems (SMS) course from the American Institute of Safety Professionals provides comprehensive training on designing, implementing, and maintaining a systematic approach to occupational health and safety management using ISO 45001 as the framework. A safety management system transforms safety from a collection of disconnected activities into an integrated system with clear objectives, defined processes, measured performance, and continuous improvement. ISO 45001 replaced OHSAS 18001 as the international standard for OH&S management systems and follows the Annex SL High Level Structure shared by ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental), enabling integrated management.

The curriculum covers management system concepts (PDCA, system thinking, process approach), ISO 45001 clause-by-clause (Clause 4: Context, Clause 5: Leadership, Clause 6: Planning, Clause 7: Support, Clause 8: Operation, Clause 9: Performance Evaluation, Clause 10: Improvement), hazard identification and risk/opportunity assessment within the management system, operational planning and control, emergency preparedness, monitoring/measurement/analysis, internal auditing, management review, incident investigation within the system, corrective action and continual improvement, and integration with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. All training is delivered 100% online through the American Institute of Safety Professionals LMS.

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Design an OH&S management system using ISO 45001: understanding the context of the organisation (internal/external issues, worker needs, scope), establishing leadership and worker participation, planning (hazard ID, risk/opportunity, objectives, change), providing support (resources, competence, awareness, communication, documented information), managing operations, evaluating performance, and driving improvement.
• Implement each ISO 45001 clause: practical implementation guidance for every requirement, from the initial gap analysis through certification readiness.
• Integrate hazard identification and risk assessment into the management system: making HIRA a systematic, ongoing process embedded in planning and operational control, not a standalone activity.
• Conduct internal audits: planning audit programmes, conducting audits against ISO 45001, documenting findings, and driving corrective action through the management system.
• Conduct management reviews: required inputs (policy status, objectives, audit results, incident trends, performance data, resource adequacy), expected outputs (improvement decisions, resource allocation, strategic direction), and the review that drives system-level improvement.
• Integrate OH&S with quality and environmental management: using the shared Annex SL structure to combine ISO 45001 with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 into an integrated management system.

Core Topics

• Management System Concepts: PDCA, system thinking, process approach
• ISO 45001 Clause 4: Context — internal/external issues, worker needs, scope
• Clause 5: Leadership — policy, roles, worker participation, consultation
• Clause 6: Planning — hazard ID, risks/opportunities, objectives, change planning
• Clause 7: Support — resources, competence, awareness, communication, documentation
• Clause 8: Operation — operational planning, emergency preparedness, procurement, contractors
• Clause 9: Performance Evaluation: monitoring, compliance, internal audit, management review
• Clause 10: Improvement — incident investigation, nonconformity, corrective action, continual improvement
• Gap Analysis: assessing current state against ISO 45001 requirements
• Integration: combining with ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, Annex SL structure
• Certification Process: selecting registrar, stage 1/stage 2 audits, surveillance

• No prior training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Safety managers implementing or maintaining ISO 45001
• OH&S management system coordinators
• Internal auditors for OH&S management systems
• Operations managers participating in management system governance
• Quality managers extending integrated management to OH&S
• Anyone involved in ISO 45001 implementation or certification

• Safety and Health Program (programme design without management system framework)
• Safety Management Systems — YOU ARE HERE (ISO 45001 framework)
• Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001 companion)
• International Diploma in Industrial Safety Management (SMS at diploma depth)