ISO 45001 Clause 7: Support
Clause 7 covers the support infrastructure your OH&S management system needs to function effectively, including resources, competence, awareness, communication, and documented information.
Resources
Clause 7.1 requires the organisation to determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the OH&S management system. Resources include people with appropriate skills, physical infrastructure, equipment, monitoring and measurement devices, and financial allocation for safety activities.
Competence
Clause 7.2 requires the organisation to determine the necessary competence of workers who affect or could affect OH&S performance, ensure workers are competent based on appropriate education, training, or experience, take actions to acquire and maintain necessary competence, and retain documented information as evidence of competence. This is particularly important for workers performing high-risk activities where lack of competence could lead to serious injury.
Awareness
Clause 7.3 requires workers to be aware of the OH&S policy, their contribution to the effectiveness of the management system, the implications of not conforming to OH&S requirements, relevant incidents and their outcomes, hazards and OH&S risks relevant to them, and the ability to remove themselves from work situations they consider present an imminent and serious danger to their life or health.
Communication
Clause 7.4 requires the organisation to establish, implement, and maintain processes for internal and external communications relevant to the OH&S management system. This includes determining what to communicate, when to communicate, with whom to communicate, and how to communicate. Communication processes must consider diversity aspects such as language, culture, literacy, and disability.
Documented Information
Clause 7.5 requires the OH&S management system to include documented information required by the standard and determined by the organisation as necessary for effectiveness. This includes creating, updating, and controlling documents and records to ensure they are available, suitable, and adequately protected.
Key Audit Questions
- How does the organisation determine and provide adequate resources for the OH&S management system, including people, infrastructure, and budget?
- What process ensures workers are competent for their roles, particularly those performing high-risk activities?
- How are workers made aware of the OH&S policy, relevant hazards, and their right to remove themselves from dangerous situations?
- What communication processes exist for both internal and external OH&S matters, and how do they account for diversity?
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