What this is
What is an expiry review?
What is an expiry review?
An expiry review is a periodic, forward-looking scan across every certification, ticket or licence in the register, identifying which are already expired and which are due within a set warning window. It reports on many credentials at once, not the status of a single one.
How is it different from checking one licence?
A licence verification confirms one specific credential is genuine and current, usually at hire. An expiry review runs across the whole workforce's credentials on a set cycle, so renewals can be booked ahead of the deadline rather than discovered on the day it passes.
Who should carry out an expiry review?
Typically the training coordinator, working from the certification register rather than memory or individual files. The task is administrative: reading expiry dates against a warning window and confirming a booking exists for each one due.
Scope
When is an expiry review required?
An expiry review is the periodic instrument, reading a register that already exists rather than establishing credentials from scratch. Its most common misuse is standing in for the register itself, or for the point-in-time check on a single licence.
Use this template when
- The stated review interval falls due and every active credential needs scanning against its expiry date
- A new certification type or a renewed credential has been added to the register and needs including in the next scan
- A trigger event, such as a resourcing change or an upcoming audit, calls for an out-of-cycle review of what is approaching expiry
- A prior review's booked renewals need confirming as complete, or re-flagging as still open
- Management needs a single view of how many credentials are expiring, expired, or unbooked, to plan budget and cover
Do not use it for
- Certification Register, which holds the standing list of each worker's certifications with their expiry dates, and is what this review reads from rather than replaces
- Licence Verification, which confirms one specific licence is genuine and current at a point in time, rather than scanning many credentials for what is approaching expiry
- Certification Renewal Record, which evidences that a flagged renewal was actually completed, once this review has identified it as due
- Competency Matrix, which records what a worker is assessed as able to do, not when their supporting certification lapses
- Anything outside KnowTrain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 45001 cl.7.2 requirements does this satisfy?
No regulation names an expiry review as its own instrument. It exists to satisfy an ongoing monitoring duty that most regimes state as an outcome, competence stays current, rather than as a prescribed process.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 45001 cl.7.2(b) | Ensure competence is current, not only established once at the point of hire | Header |
| ISO 45001 cl.7.2(d) | Retain documented information as evidence of competence, kept current as credentials change | Related records |
| ISO 45001 cl.9.1.1 | Monitor and measure whether competence-related controls remain effective over time | Expiring items |
| ISO 45001 cl.8.1 | Operational planning and control to ensure activities continue to be carried out under specified conditions | Expiring items |
| ISO 45001 cl.7.2(c) | Take action to acquire necessary competence where a gap exists, and evaluate the effectiveness of that action | Summary |
| ISO 45001 cl.5.3 | Assign roles, responsibilities and authorities within the organisation for relevant OH&S functions | Summary |
| ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | Feed monitoring results into management review of the OH&S management system | Summary |
What it does not cover
- Certification Register, which is the underlying record of each credential and its expiry date; this review reads it rather than replacing it.
- Licence Verification, which confirms one licence is genuine and current right now, not which credentials are approaching expiry across the workforce.
- Certification Renewal Record, which evidences that a flagged renewal was actually completed.
- Authorization to Operate, which is the task-level authorisation decision an expired credential should trigger, not something this review grants or withdraws itself.
- Training budget approval, which is a finance process this review's budget field points to rather than performs.
Global
Expiry Review requirements by country
The duty to keep certification current is close to universal in substance and almost nowhere prescriptive about method, which is why the review cycle itself carries the defensibility.
OSHA standard-specific recertification intervals, e.g. the triennial refresher under 29 CFR 1910.178(l) for powered industrial trucks
No general expiry-review requirement. The duty to keep certification current sits inside each equipment or role standard.
An inspector finding a lapsed certification treats the worker as untrained from the lapse date, whether or not a review process exists on paper.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2, plus sector Approved Codes of Practice such as first aid at work and gas safe registration
No statutory expiry-review duty, but HSE inspectors routinely ask how an employer knows its workforce remains currently certified.
A documented, working review cycle demonstrates ongoing management of the duty; a one-off training record at hire does not.
ISO 45001 cl.9.1.1 and cl.7.2
The management system requires monitoring that competence controls remain effective over time, not only established at hire.
Auditors treat a working expiry-review cycle as primary evidence that cl.7.2 competence is actually maintained, not just claimed.
How to complete it
How to complete an expiry review, step by step
The review produces a set of counts. What decides whether those counts mean anything is how the underlying entries were read, not how neatly they were totalled.
These are different urgencies wearing the same field type. An already-expired credential is a task-authorisation question that may need answering today; one expiring within the warning window is a booking question. Blending both into one count makes the first invisible until someone looks underneath it.
A renewal marked booked with no date attached, or a booking date after the credential's expiry, has not closed the gap. Treat 'booked' as a claim needing its own date to be believed, not a status that ends the review's interest in that entry.
Where a renewal cannot be booked ahead of the expiry date, because a course is unavailable or budget is unconfirmed, the review is the point to decide who covers the task or whether it stops. Deciding cover after the lapse has already happened is the failure repeating itself.
A large number of low-risk credentials expiring together is a scheduling problem. One high-risk credential lapsing, especially where it blocks a task, is a management problem. The review needs to route these differently rather than escalating everything above a volume threshold or nothing at all.
What auditors find
Most common expiry review findings
Expiry review findings are rarely about a missed credential outright. They are about what the summary figures concealed until an inspection or an incident went looking underneath them.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Already-expired credentials are folded into a blended booking-rate figure rather than flagged as an immediate issue. | ISO 45001 cl.8.1 | Report already-expired as its own figure and route it to an immediate task-authorisation decision. |
| A credential is marked as renewal booked with no booking date, or a date after the expiry date. | ISO 45001 cl.9.1.1 | Require a booking date earlier than the expiry date before accepting a renewal as booked. |
| A credential added to the register mid-cycle is missed until the next scheduled review. | ISO 45001 cl.7.2(b) | Trigger a scan when a credential is added, not only on the fixed review date. |
| High operational-risk expiries are not escalated, or escalation is recorded with no evidence of a response. | ISO 45001 cl.9.3 | Route anything scored high operational risk to a named manager and record what they did about it. |
| Cover for a task is not arranged before a credential lapses, so the task runs uncovered or stops unplanned. | ISO 45001 cl.8.1 | Decide and record cover arrangements at the point a renewal is flagged as at risk. |
| Budget for renewals is not confirmed before training needs to be booked, delaying the booking itself. | ISO 45001 cl.7.2(c) | Confirm budget at the same review that flags the need, not behind a separate approval cycle. |
Case in point
Case in point: the count that looked fine and the forklift that did not
A site's monthly expiry review reported a ninety-two percent booking rate and zero already-expired credentials, signed off as green without further discussion. Underneath the average, one forklift operator's certificate had lapsed the week before the review, not flagged as booked because the only available refresher course was six weeks out.
The operator kept working the aisle on an expired certificate for those six weeks, because nothing in the review distinguished 'booked, course pending' from 'no course available, no cover arranged.' An unrelated inspection found the gap. The fix was not a higher booking-rate target; it was treating an unavailable renewal slot as an immediate cover decision the moment it was identified.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- TRN-033
- Archetype
- Review
- Record ID
- EXP-2026-000
- Scoring
- Expiring count
- Direction
- High is bad
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 45001 cl.7.2
- Links
- Links Certification Register
- Tags
- Credentials, Governance
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 35
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 4
Header
10 fieldsReview ID*
Auto sequence. Format EXP-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Delivered By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Period Covered*
Reviewed By*
Review Frequency*
- Quarterly3 pts
- Annually3 pts
- Every 2 years1 pt
- None set0 pts
Ninety Days Of Warning
Booking a renewal takes weeks. Finding out on the day of expiry means somebody loses their authorisation and the task stops.
Expiring items
Repeats10 fieldsWorker*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Certification Type*
Expiry Date*
Days Remaining*
Legal Requirement*
Blocks Tasks If Expired
Renewal Booked*
- Yes3 pts
- Not yet due3 pts
- No0 pts
Booking Date
Cover Arranged If Not Renewed
- Yes3 pts
- Not needed3 pts
- No0 pts
Related records
1 fieldCertification Register ID
The register these expiries were read from.
Links to TRN-028 Register ID
Summary
14 fieldsExpiring Within 30 Days*
Expiring Within 90 Days*
Already Expired*
Renewals Booked*
Booking Rate Percent*
Budget Confirmed*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Operational Risk If Not Renewed*
- None4 pts
- Low3 pts
- Medium1 pt
- High0 pts
Escalated To Management
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Training Coordinator*
Signature*
TRN-033 · record IDs look like EXP-2026-000 · Links Certification Register
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The review is a snapshot. What fails is the follow-through: the booking that never got a date, the course that had no slot, and the high-risk lapse that sat inside an average nobody read past.
Runs the review against the certification register, tracks booking dates against expiry dates, and keeps already-expired entries visible rather than blended into a summary figure.
Shares driver and operator certification expiries with fleet scheduling, so a lapsed licence reaches the assignment it would otherwise leave uncovered.
Holds task authorisation against current certification, so an already-expired credential actually blocks the task rather than waiting for next review.
Watches booking dates against expiry dates across the workforce, and raises an unbooked or at-risk renewal the moment it is identified.
This template lives in KnowTrain — training and credentials. Induction, competency, toolbox talks, refreshers and expiry tracking.
Meet KnowTrain→Glossary
Expiry Review definitions and key terms
- Expiry window
- The forward-looking period a review scans, commonly thirty and ninety days, chosen to give enough lead time to book a renewal.
- Booking rate
- The proportion of due renewals with a confirmed booking, used to judge whether the review is keeping pace with what it finds.
- Operational risk
- The consequence to the task or site if a specific credential is not renewed in time, judged separately from whether renewal is a legal requirement.
- Cover arrangement
- The plan for who performs the task, or whether it stops, if a credential lapses before its renewal completes.
- Trigger event
- A change, such as a new credential being added or a course becoming unavailable, that should prompt a review outside the normal cycle.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about expiry review
How is an expiry review different from a licence verification?+
A licence verification checks one specific credential's authenticity and currency at a point in time, usually at hire. An expiry review scans every credential in the register on a recurring cycle, a planning instrument rather than an authenticity check.
What warning period should a review use?+
Whatever gives enough lead time to actually book the renewal, commonly thirty and ninety days, but driven by how long the real booking process takes rather than a round number. A course that books out six weeks in advance needs a longer window.
What should happen when a credential has already expired?+
Treat it as an immediate task-authorisation question, not a line in the monthly count. Whether the task stops, cover is arranged, or the worker is reassigned is for the manager involved, but the review must surface it clearly enough it cannot be deferred.
Does a booked renewal mean the gap is covered?+
Only if the booking date falls before the expiry date and cover exists in case the booking slips. A renewal booked with no date, or for after the credential lapses, still leaves the task exposed.
Should every credential get the same warning window?+
No. The right window depends on how long booking actually takes for that credential type, whether it is a legal requirement, and the operational risk if it lapses. A same-week course needs less lead time than a six-week one.
Who should own the review, and who handles escalation?+
The training coordinator typically runs the review and confirms bookings, but a credential scored high operational risk should route to a named manager rather than stay inside the training function.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Worker Competency and Credentials
Competency Framework Register
Holds the competencies the organisation recognises, with what each one means and how it is assessed
Driver Licence and Entitlement Check
Checks driver licence validity, categories, endorsements and any restrictions with the issuing authority
Electrical Competency Authorisation
Authorises a named person to carry out defined electrical activities on this site, with the limits stated
Competency Matrix
Shows which skills and training each role requires and who currently holds them
Skills Assessment
Assesses whether a worker can actually perform a task to standard, by watching them do it
Training Needs Analysis
Works out the gap between the skills a role needs and the skills people have
More in Credentials
Certification Register
Holds each worker's external certifications, tickets and licences with expiry dates
Certification Renewal Record
Records the renewal of a certification before it expires
Licence Verification
Confirms a licence or ticket is genuine and current, by checking with the issuing body
External Training Record
Records training delivered by an outside provider, with certificate attached
Competency Card Issue
Issues a physical or digital card showing what a worker is authorised to do
Credential Audit
Audits a sample of worker records to confirm certifications on file are genuine, current and match what people are doing
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 45001:2018 clause 7.2, competence
- ISO 45001:2018 clauses 8.1, 9.1.1, 9.3 and 10.2, operational planning, monitoring, management review and corrective action
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l), recertification interval for powered industrial truck operators (US)
- HSE guidance on maintaining current competence and certificate renewal for licensed work activities (UK)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.