Actions to address risks and opportunities - general
Plain-language summary
Planning the safety system around the risks and opportunities you have identified, taking your context, interested parties and scope into account.
What the clause is really asking
This sets up the planning logic for the whole system. Before you can control anything you need a structured way to consider what could go wrong and what could be improved, drawing on your context, interested parties, and the hazards in your operations. The intent is deliberate, preventive planning rather than reacting after someone is hurt.
What auditors look for
Auditors check there is a defined process that pulls together hazards, OH&S risks, compliance obligations and opportunities, and that it actually informs planning. They trace whether the inputs from context and interested parties show up here. They look for emergencies and abnormal situations being considered, not just routine work.
Typical evidence
Risk and opportunity planning process or procedure; risk register; documented links from context and interested parties to identified risks; planning records covering normal, abnormal and emergency situations.
How to comply — recommendations
Set up one clear process that brings hazards, OH&S risks, legal obligations and improvement opportunities into your planning. Make sure it draws on your context and interested parties so it is grounded in your reality. Include abnormal conditions and emergencies, not only routine operations. Keep the records that show this planning drives your controls and objectives.
Common nonconformities
Planning that ignores context and interested parties; only routine operations considered, with emergencies and abnormal conditions left out; risks identified but never linked to actions or objectives; no defined process, just an ad hoc list.
Related clauses
ISO 9001 6.1; ISO 14001 6.1.1
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.