Documented information
Plain-language summary
Keeping the documents and records your safety system needs, controlling them properly, and making sure people use the current version.
What the clause is really asking
Documents and records are the memory and evidence of your safety system. The clause requires you to maintain the documented information the system needs and to control it, so the right version is available where it is needed, it is protected, and obsolete versions do not cause harm. The intent is reliable, current information, not a wall of paperwork for its own sake.
What auditors look for
Auditors check a procedure at the point of use to confirm it is the current version and actually available to the worker who needs it. They test record retention by asking for a specific record, such as a recent inspection or training certificate, and seeing how quickly it is produced. Superseded documents still in use on the floor are a classic finding.
Typical evidence
Controlled procedures and forms with version control; document register; retention schedule for OH&S records; access controls and backups; evidence current versions are at the point of use.
How to comply — recommendations
Keep only the documents the system genuinely needs and control them with version numbers and dates so people can tell current from old. Make sure the current version is actually at the workstation where it is used, not just in a server folder. Protect records, including statutory ones, and set a sensible retention period. Remove obsolete versions from circulation so nobody follows outdated instructions.
Common nonconformities
Superseded procedures still in use on the floor; no version control so current and old versions are indistinguishable; records cannot be found when requested; documents locked away from the workers who need them; statutory records not retained long enough.
Related clauses
ISO 9001 7.5; ISO 14001 7.5
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.