Why Conduct Internal Audit 27001 and ISO 45001 Together in Australia’s Risk-Driven Climate. Many Australian companies divide internal audits by type. ISO 27001 usually goes to the IT or information security team. , HR or workplace health and safety teams manage ISO 45001.
This article shows how smart Australian companies are changing. It explains the benefits of doing internal audits for ISO 27001 and ISO 45001 together. This approach can reveal hidden risks, boost efficiency, and enhance compliance. It helps companies adapt to new regulations and growing cyber-physical threats.
Shared Risks, Separate Silos: A Missed Opportunity
ISO 27001 and ISO 45001 focus on different areas. ISO 27001 is about information security, while ISO 45001 deals with workplace health and safety. Australian companies are facing more cross-domain risks. These risks don’t fit neatly into one category. For example:
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A ransomware attack that freezes critical WHS systems and disrupts emergency coordination communications.
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A breach of contractor management systems exposing sensitive health records and injury data.
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Employee fatigue monitoring devices that pose both cybersecurity and workplace safety risks.
When audits happen in silos, organizations often miss key connections. A weakness in one system can lead to risks in another.
Achieving Efficiency by Aligning Processes
For internal audits relating to ISO 27001 and ISO 45001, another major advantage of aligning them is process efficiency. The audits share a number of common elements, such as:
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Setting policy and objectives
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Addressing risks and opportunities
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Incident management
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Monitoring, conducting internal audits, and continual improvement
Instead of letting separate teams work alone, forward-thinking Australian organisations are simplifying things. They schedule coordinated internal audits to evaluate:
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Cross-functional control systems can be effective. For example, we can look at remote work policies and how they affect WHS and cyber risks.
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The use of shared reporting tools, such as incident registers, that capture both safety and security events.
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Leadership oversight across both domains.
Internal audits need not be duplicated — when designed with integration in mind, they can deliver deeper and more valuable insights.
Governance is Converging Due to Compliance Pressures
Compliance is becoming an ever more pressing concern. Governance is now being defined in more cohesive terms, with control encompassing every aspect of an organisation. This means boards and regulators expect a broader, more integrated view of risk.
In this context, the internal audit serves as a primary source of assurance across the business. As governance expectations tighten, boards require more detailed reporting. This means that combining an ISO 27001 audit with insights from an ISO 45001 audit creates a clearer and more complete view of risks.
Data Privacy and Psychological Safety: A New Audit Risk
Safe Work Australia is now placing greater emphasis on preventing and managing psychosocial risks. These include overwork, insecure employment, low self-esteem, and workplace bullying.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) considers personal health and employment records to be extremely sensitive, making breach reporting critical.
These evolving risks require more than just a checklist approach from internal auditors:
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How is employee health data safeguarded against unauthorised access?
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Does employee monitoring technology comply with WHS regulations and privacy laws?
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Are staff educated on their data and wellbeing privacy rights?
This is precisely why integrated audits for ISO 27001 and ISO 45001 are not just feasible — they are essential.
Upskilling the Audit Team
One barrier to combining audits is the skills gap among auditors. Many health and safety professionals lack cybersecurity knowledge — and vice versa. However, this is beginning to change, with ISO consultants in Australia developing cross-training programmes to help auditors:
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Recognize key controls in both standards
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Create risk inquiry frameworks that focus on cultural and behavioral aspects.
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Use integrated systems and audit-tracking tools.
Organizations with diverse audit skills can spot weak links. They can fix problems early, stopping small issues from becoming big failures.
Make Internal Audits Drive Business Decisions
Organizations often ignore internal audit findings. They hide them in technical terms or certification binders. When done as cross-functional reviews, audits are more than just assurance tools. They also become strong aids for decision-making.
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Justifying budget allocations (e.g., investing in shared controls instead of duplicate systems)
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Identifying gaps in integration.
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Demonstrating compliance during tenders and client audits.
The organisations that gain the most see internal audits as more than just compliance. They view them as tools for strategic insight that boost performance.
Don’t look to the past when auditing risks—look to the future.
In today’s Australian business world, safety and cybersecurity now fit into trust, resilience, and sustainability. Internal audit processes must incorporate all these elements.
If your organization still conducts separate internal audits for ISO 27001 and ISO 45001, you’re using an old model. Combining these audits meets many certification needs. It also helps your organization handle the complex risks ahead.