A criticism of 18001 was that it was possible to get accreditation for the purposes of contractual agreements and tendering for contracts without being fully committed to health and safety management.  The new standard addresses this by placing much more emphasis on strategic leadership and the need for health and safety management to be fully integrated not just in the organisation itself but in the whole supply chain.  In short, an organisation will not be able to get accreditation if they treat it merely as a box ticking exercise.

The extent to which it is viable for event companies remains to be seen especially as very few sought accreditation to the old 18001 standard.  It is perhaps more suitable for contactors and venues where ensuring consistency of approach is important and where that consistency can be demonstrated.  It is more problematic for event organisers particularly those with portfolios of events across the world.  An event by its nature is a one-off even if it is run to a format.  Supply chain management could be problematic particularly in developing countries.  Notwithstanding, ISO 45001 offers the opportunity to bind senior management into a commitment to manage and improve health and safety properly in an industry where that leadership can be lacking.