PECB ISO 45001 Foundation study plan
PECB ISO 45001 Foundation · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Fundamental concepts and principles of occupational health and safety management and OH&S MS
Define occupational health and safety (OH&S) and distinguish it from related terms such as worker health, wellbeing, and safety culture
Explain the purpose and benefits of an OH&S management system (OH&S MS) using the PDCA cycle
List the key intended outcomes of an OH&S MS as described in ISO 45001
Identify the three foundational concepts: hazard, risk, and opportunity, and give one workplace example of each
Your checkpoint
A one-page glossary of 15 core OH&S terms with your own definitions and one example each
Fundamental concepts and principles of occupational health and safety management and OH&S MS
Describe the hierarchy of controls and rank its five levels from most to least effective
Explain the concepts of acceptable risk, residual risk, and risk tolerance
Summarize the role of worker participation and consultation in OH&S management
Distinguish between proactive and reactive approaches to OH&S performance
Your checkpoint
A hierarchy-of-controls diagram plus a written justification of why elimination outranks PPE for three sample hazards
Fundamental concepts and principles of occupational health and safety management and OH&S MS
Explain the principles of continual improvement and its relationship to PDCA
Describe how context, interested parties, and legal requirements shape an OH&S MS
Outline the benefits and limitations of a management-system approach versus ad hoc safety programs
Interpret the concept of outsourced processes and the extended OH&S responsibility chain
Your checkpoint
A 500-word essay mapping PDCA to the OH&S MS and giving one example activity per PDCA stage
Fundamental concepts and principles of occupational health and safety management and OH&S MS & ISO 45001 requirements for an OH&S MS - Clauses 4 to 10
Consolidate Domain 1 by self-testing on foundational concepts and correcting weak areas
Read Clause 4 (context of the organization) and identify its four sub-requirements
Explain the difference between internal and external issues relevant to OH&S
Describe how to determine the scope of an OH&S MS and why documented scope matters
Your checkpoint
A scored 30-question Domain 1 self-test (target 80%+) with a written list of missed concepts and corrections
ISO 45001 requirements for an OH&S MS - Clauses 4 to 10
Interpret Clause 5 leadership commitments and the OH&S policy requirements
Describe the consultation and participation process requirements of Clause 5.4
Explain Clause 6.1 processes for identifying hazards and assessing risks and opportunities
Outline the methodology requirements for hazard identification including routine, non-routine, and emergency situations
Distinguish OH&S objectives from planning actions and state the criteria for measurable objectives
Your checkpoint
A sample OH&S policy and a hazard-identification worksheet covering three work activities with risk ratings
ISO 45001 requirements for an OH&S MS - Clauses 4 to 10
Explain Clause 7 support requirements: resources, competence, awareness, and communication
Describe the requirements for documented information, including creation, control, and retention
Interpret Clause 8.1 operational planning and control, including the hierarchy of controls and management of change
Explain procurement, contractors, and outsourcing requirements under Clause 8.1.4
Outline emergency preparedness and response requirements under Clause 8.2
Your checkpoint
A competence matrix template for three roles plus a one-page management-of-change checklist
ISO 45001 requirements for an OH&S MS - Clauses 4 to 10
Describe Clause 9.1 monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation requirements, including performance indicators
Explain the internal audit requirements of Clause 9.2 and the difference between audit criteria and audit evidence
Outline management review inputs and outputs under Clause 9.3
Interpret Clause 10 incident, nonconformity, and corrective action requirements
Explain the continual improvement requirements of Clause 10.3
Your checkpoint
A management review agenda mapped to every Clause 9.3 input, plus a corrective action record for one sample nonconformity
ISO 45001 requirements for an OH&S MS - Clauses 4 to 10 & Fundamental concepts and principles of occupational health and safety management and OH&S MS
Map every Clause 4-10 requirement to a one-line summary you can recall without notes
Complete two timed full-length practice exams and analyze error patterns by domain
Revisit the three weakest requirements from earlier weeks and restate them accurately
Build a final one-page memory aid linking foundational concepts to specific clauses
Your checkpoint
A completed clause-by-clause summary sheet plus a timed mock exam score at or above your target pass mark
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain hazard, risk, opportunity, hierarchy of controls, and PDCA from memory without notes
Week 4: Domain 1 self-test score of 80% or higher; Clause 4 requirements summarized in your own words
Week 6: Can map Clauses 5 through 8 to concrete organizational activities and artifacts
Week 7: Can describe all Clause 9 and 10 requirements and distinguish audit, review, and corrective action
Week 8: Two timed mock exams completed with stable scores at or above target, with error analysis documented