Hazard identification and assessment of risks and opportunities
Plain-language summary
Systematically finding the hazards in your work and judging the risk they pose to people, including risks from the system itself and chances to improve.
What the clause is really asking
You cannot control a hazard you have not found, so this clause is the engine room of OH&S. It requires ongoing, proactive hazard identification covering routine and non-routine work, human factors, emergencies, changes, past incidents and the way work is actually organised. You then assess the OH&S risks and also spot opportunities to improve protection. The intent is to catch hazards before they catch people.
What auditors look for
Auditors walk the floor and compare what they see against your risk assessments, hunting for obvious hazards you missed, such as a guard removed or a new process not assessed. They check that identification is ongoing rather than a once-off, that workers were involved, and that human and organisational factors like fatigue, shift work and ergonomics were considered. They test whether assessments reflect how the job is really done.
Typical evidence
Hazard identification and risk assessment records; risk register or HIRA; evidence workers participated; assessments for non-routine and emergency situations; reviews triggered by incidents and changes; ergonomic and human-factors considerations.
How to comply — recommendations
Use a proactive method like HIRA or job safety analysis and involve the workers who do the job, because they know the real hazards. Cover routine and non-routine tasks, maintenance, emergencies, and human factors such as fatigue and ergonomics. Keep it live by reassessing after incidents, changes and new equipment rather than filing it once. Make sure the assessments match how work is actually performed, not the idealised version.
Common nonconformities
Obvious shop-floor hazards missing from assessments; assessments done once and never updated after changes or incidents; workers not involved; human and organisational factors like fatigue and ergonomics ignored; non-routine and emergency tasks not assessed; paperwork that does not match real working practice.
Related clauses
ISO 9001 6.1 (risk, weaker); ISO 14001 6.1.2 (aspects)
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.