The OH&S management system
Plain-language summary
Having an actual system of connected processes for managing health and safety, not just a folder of documents.
What the clause is really asking
This clause is the umbrella requirement to establish, run, maintain and continually improve a working OH&S system whose processes connect to each other. The intent is that hazard identification feeds risk assessment, which feeds controls, training, monitoring and review in a continuous loop. A pile of unrelated procedures is not a system.
What auditors look for
Auditors trace a thread end to end to test whether processes actually link up, for example following a single hazard from identification through control, training and monitoring. They look for evidence the system is alive, used daily and improving, rather than dusted off before audits. Gaps between processes are the usual finding.
Typical evidence
Process map or interaction diagram; the linked set of OH&S procedures; records showing processes feeding each other; evidence of the improvement cycle in action.
How to comply — recommendations
Draw a one-page map showing how your safety processes connect, so anyone can see the flow from hazard to control to review. Make sure handoffs between processes work in practice, not just on paper. Treat the system as something used every day by supervisors and workers, and show it improving over time through review and corrective action.
Common nonconformities
Disconnected procedures with no clear flow between them; processes documented but not actually used; no evidence of the system being maintained or improved; the system exists only in the quality office.
Related clauses
ISO 9001 4.4; ISO 14001 4.4
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.