Needs and expectations of workers and interested parties
Plain-language summary
Identifying who has a stake in your health and safety performance, including your own workers, and deciding which of their needs you will treat as requirements.
What the clause is really asking
Beyond your workers, plenty of parties care about whether people get hurt at your site, such as regulators, unions, neighbours, clients, contractors and families. The clause asks you to map these parties, understand what they expect of you on OH&S, and decide which expectations become obligations you will meet. Workers are singled out because their needs sit at the heart of the standard.
What auditors look for
Auditors check that you have actually listed interested parties and not just named the labour department. They sample a party, such as a key client or the local regulator, and ask how you know their OH&S expectations and how you keep up with them. They look for the link between this list and your legal and other requirements register.
Typical evidence
Interested parties register with their OH&S needs; records of client safety requirements; union or worker representative agreements; permits and licences; correspondence showing how expectations are tracked.
How to comply — recommendations
Build a simple table of interested parties, what they expect on safety, and whether you have made it a requirement. Include workers and their representatives explicitly. Cross-link the requirements you adopt into your legal and other requirements register so nothing falls through the cracks. Review it when a major client or regulation changes.
Common nonconformities
Workers not listed as an interested party despite being central to the standard; list never updated after new contracts or regulations; expectations identified but never converted into actual requirements; no method for staying current with changing needs.
Related clauses
ISO 9001 4.2; ISO 14001 4.2
Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of the relevant standard for the authoritative text.