OHS policy and leadership
A publicly available safety policy, accountable senior management, controlled procedures and regular review.
Ethical Trade Alliance · Workplace & operational safety
Safer People. Stronger Operations.
Demonstrate your commitment to safer workplaces through independent audits against the ETA Occupational Health and Safety Standard. Manage hazards, involve workers, and strengthen prevention.
Independent audits
Conducted by Blue Wolf Certifications
Practical standard
Risk-based OHS requirements
Worker consultation
Meaningful participation in safety decisions
ETA certification
Certificate issued by Ethical Trade Alliance
Safer operations
Prevention, controls and improvement
Worker protection, independently assessed
Occupational Health and Safety Certification
The Ethical Trade Alliance (ETA) Occupational Health and Safety Standard provides auditable requirements for identifying, preventing, mitigating and remediating workplace health and safety risks arising from an organisation’s operations.
It combines leadership commitment, worker consultation, documented risk assessment, proportionate controls, legal compliance, incident investigation and performance monitoring.
Blue Wolf Certifications performs the independent audits. ETA is responsible for the certification decision and issues the certificate.
What the ETA OHS Standard Assesses
Hazard identification and risk ratings
Documented risk assessments addressing physical, chemical, ergonomic and psychosocial hazards, with low, medium and high risk classifications.
Worker consultation and reporting
Participation in safety decisions, access to relevant information and accessible reporting channels protected from retaliation.
Legal obligations and controls
Identification of applicable OHS laws and use of the hierarchy of controls, prioritising elimination and engineering measures over PPE alone.
Incident response and corrective action
Recording, investigating and remediating injuries, illnesses, near misses and dangerous occurrences, with measures to prevent recurrence.
Site inspections and performance
Competent, impartial inspections; machinery, chemical, electrical, working-at-height and emergency controls; KPIs and annual public communication.
How ETA OHS Certification Works
1. Confirm scope
Discuss your sites, workforce, activities, OHS risks and proposed audit arrangements.
2. Blue Wolf independent audit
Our auditors examine policies, risk registers, worker consultation, inspections, incident records and evidence of implemented controls.
3. ETA certification decision
ETA reviews the audit outcome under its certification process and issues a certificate when the applicable requirements are satisfied.
Practical Requirements, Credible Evidence
The standard addresses risk-based safety inspections and operational controls, including machine guarding, lockout/tagout, hazardous substances, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, electrical safety, work at height, emergency preparedness, first aid, competence, vulnerable workers, fatigue and worker participation.
It calls for records to be retained for at least five years, internal site inspections at intervals appropriate to risk, independent internal audits and publication of OHS commitments, risks and performance at least annually.
Its principal focus is risks in the organisation’s own operations. It is not a general supplier social-audit programme, although relevant supplier policy expectations may apply.
Already ISO 45001 certified? Existing processes may help support implementation, but ISO 45001 and ETA OHS are separate standards and certificates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues ETA Occupational Health and Safety certificates?
Ethical Trade Alliance makes the certification decision and issues the certificate. Blue Wolf conducts the independent audit.
Is ETA OHS certification the same as ISO 45001?
No. ETA OHS is a separate standard with its own requirements and certification process. Existing ISO 45001 arrangements may provide relevant evidence but do not automatically result in ETA certification.
What evidence is reviewed?
Examples include OHS policies, hazard and risk registers, worker consultation records, legal registers, training records, incident investigations, site inspections, emergency plans, internal audits and corrective actions.
Does the standard address worker participation?
Yes. The standard requires consultation on hazards, risk assessment, controls and incidents, and meaningful access to relevant OHS information.
Does certification guarantee no injuries or full legal compliance?
No. Certification provides independent assessment against defined criteria. It does not eliminate risk, guarantee legal compliance or prevent every incident.
Can we obtain a copy of the ETA standard?
Contact Blue Wolf to enquire about the standard and purchasing arrangements.
Build Confidence in Your Workplace Safety Practices
Talk with Blue Wolf about an independent ETA Occupational Health and Safety audit.