This management of change procedure can assist your business comply with AS/NZS ISO 45001 2018, Occupational Health and Safety Management System clause 8.1.3. Management of Change.
The procedure can also assist you with defining safety risks and methods for managing long or short-term changes to processes, equipment, materials, substances or any other aspects of an organization.
The AS/NZS ISO 45001 standard requires organizations to have a clear and defined process for managing organizational change. This helps to ensure that changes are made in a controlled and safe manner, and that the risks associated with change are properly assessed and managed.
The standard also requires organizations to communicate changes to all relevant parties, and to provide training and support to those who will be affected by the change. This helps to ensure that everyone is aware of the changes and knows how to safely implement them.
Overall, the benefits of AS/NZS ISO 45001 management of change (MoC) process help to ensure that changes are made safely and in a controlled manner and that the risks associated with change are properly assessed and managed.
A management of change procedure is important when implementing AS/NZS ISO 45001 because it helps ensure that changes to the workplace are made safely, effectively and where possible continually improve.
The procedure outlines how to identify and assess risks associated with changes, and how to implement controls and corrective actions to mitigate those risks.
By following a management of change procedure, organizations can ensure that changes to the workplace are made in a way that does not jeopardize the safety of employees or the effectiveness of the organization.
The change management approval process is the sequence of steps or activities that a company uses to introduce meaningful changes to its products, services, or processes. Change management processes will follow the general steps as outlined below. Each step within this process may be detailed in change request documentation, to clarify the change. If needed.
Upon identifying and considering a change (proactive or reactive), a change request must be assessed by the controlling person, to determine the nature of the change.
Management of Change Flowchart
Depending on the nature of the change, it may need to be recorded in an approval form or risk assessment form and put forward to management for review and approval.
The applicable person or manager will review the change request and will either:
If approved the change implementer(s) will communicate the proposed change to the relevant persons. If not approved the reasons why need to be communicated to the impacted persons.
The change implementer(s) will then undertake the tasks to accomplish the change within the designated time frames.
A post-implementation review should then be undertaken to assess whether the change was successful or if it requires further modification. All documented information on any legal requirements should be retained.
Note: If necessary, safety procedures, standard operating procedures or training should be given to all persons that participate in any new work or operational processes.
