7. Support
7.1 Resources
A management system needs fuel: people, time, money, equipment, information. The resourcing question is concrete — what does each part of the OH&S system need to run, and is that being budgeted, allocated and protected? Under-resourcing is one of the most common reasons OH&S systems drift after certification.
Types of Resources Required:
- Human Resources: Competent personnel for OH&S roles, safety professionals, emergency responders, health and safety committee members
- Infrastructure: Safe facilities, equipment, emergency systems, safety equipment storage, first aid facilities
- Technology: Incident management systems, monitoring equipment, communication systems, training platforms
- Financial Resources: Budget for safety equipment, training, improvements, emergency preparedness
- Information Resources: Legal databases, technical standards, safety data sheets, competency records
- Natural Resources: Clean air, potable water, proper lighting, temperature control
The hard line on budget:
Worker safety is not a discretionary spend. When cost pressure forces trade-offs, the trade-off has to be visible — documented, escalated, signed off — not absorbed quietly into "we'll manage." Auditors and incident investigators look hard at how resourcing decisions were made.
Worker safety is not a discretionary spend. When cost pressure forces trade-offs, the trade-off has to be visible — documented, escalated, signed off — not absorbed quietly into "we'll manage." Auditors and incident investigators look hard at how resourcing decisions were made.
Essential OH&S Resources:
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate for identified hazards
- Safety monitoring and measurement equipment (gas detectors, noise meters, air samplers)
- Emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, first aid kits, emergency showers, eyewash stations)
- Communication systems for emergency notifications and safety alerts
- Training facilities and materials
- Health surveillance and medical examination resources
- Maintenance resources to ensure equipment safety
7.2 Competence
Competence covers the ability to identify hazards and work safely, built from a mix of education, training and experience. The system has to define what "competent" means for each role that touches OH&S, verify it before the worker takes on the task, and refresh it as conditions change.
Competence Requirements
1
Define the competencies each role needs — including specialist roles like banksman, scaffold inspector, confined space supervisor, first aider
2
Verify competence on the basis of qualifications, training and demonstrated experience — not just a signed register
3
Close gaps through training, mentoring or reassignment until the competence requirement is met
4
Test whether the action worked — assessment, observation, supervised task execution
5
Hold the evidence on file: training records, certificates, assessment outputs, competency matrices
Competence Elements:
Competence = Knowledge + Skills + Experience + Behaviors
- Knowledge: Understanding of hazards, risks, controls, procedures, legal requirements
- Skills: Practical ability to perform work safely, use equipment, apply controls
- Experience: Practical on-the-job experience in similar situations
- Behaviors: Safety attitudes, risk awareness, willingness to follow procedures
Key Competence Areas in OH&S
Critical OH&S Competencies:
- Hazard Identification: All workers must be able to identify workplace hazards
- Risk Assessment: Understanding how to evaluate and prioritize risks
- Emergency Response: Knowledge of emergency procedures, evacuation routes, assembly points
- Equipment Operation: Safe operation of machinery, tools and equipment
- PPE Use: Proper selection, use, maintenance and limitations of PPE
- Safe Work Procedures: Understanding and following established safe work methods
- Incident Reporting: How to report incidents, near-misses and hazards
- First Aid: Designated first aiders with appropriate qualifications
- Specialized Tasks: Confined space entry, working at heights, hot work, forklift operation, etc.
Verification, not assumption:
A worker has attended a course, signed an attendance register, and ticked the box. That's not competence. Verification means observed practical demonstration, supervisor sign-off and, for high-risk tasks, periodic re-assessment. The check happens before the work, not after the incident.
A worker has attended a course, signed an attendance register, and ticked the box. That's not competence. Verification means observed practical demonstration, supervisor sign-off and, for high-risk tasks, periodic re-assessment. The check happens before the work, not after the incident.
Training and Development Actions:
- Induction training for new workers and contractors
- Job-specific safety training
- Refresher training at appropriate intervals
- Training after incidents or identification of competence gaps
- Training for changes in processes, equipment or hazards
- Leadership and supervision training for managers
- Emergency response drills and exercises
Documentation Requirements:
Training records (who, what, when, trainer, assessment results)
Competence assessments and verifications
Qualifications, certifications and licenses
Training needs analysis
Training effectiveness evaluations
7.3 Awareness
Awareness is the practical floor: every worker — permanent, temporary, contractor — knows the policy, knows the hazards in their area, knows what's expected of them, and knows they can stop work if a situation becomes unsafe. Awareness without that last point is only half the requirement.
Worker Awareness Requirements
Every worker is across:
a
The OH&S policy and the objectives the organisation is working toward
b
How their own work contributes to the system — and what improved OH&S performance gets the team and the business
c
What happens when system requirements are bypassed — to themselves, to colleagues, and to the organisation
d
Incidents and investigation outcomes that affect their work or area
e
The hazards, OH&S risks and controls that apply to what they do
f
Their right to walk away from imminent and serious danger — and the protection that backs that right (section 14 of the OHS Act, section 23 of the MHSA)
Right to refuse unsafe work — make it real:
The right to leave an unsafe situation is meaningless if workers believe they'll be sanctioned for using it. The system has to back the right with visible protection: documented procedure, supervisor training, and a clean record of times the right has been exercised without consequence.
The right to leave an unsafe situation is meaningless if workers believe they'll be sanctioned for using it. The system has to back the right with visible protection: documented procedure, supervisor training, and a clean record of times the right has been exercised without consequence.
Building OH&S Awareness:
- Induction Programs: Introduce OH&S policy, rights, responsibilities, hazards
- Toolbox Talks: Short, regular discussions on specific safety topics
- Safety Meetings: Regular team meetings addressing OH&S performance and concerns
- Visual Communication: Posters, signs, labels, safety bulletins
- Incident Alerts: Sharing lessons learned from incidents (anonymized)
- Safety Campaigns: Themed campaigns on specific hazards or behaviors
- Performance Feedback: Regular communication of OH&S metrics and trends
- Recognition Programs: Acknowledging safe behaviors and contributions
Contractor and Visitor Awareness:
Ensure contractors, temporary workers and visitors are also aware of:
- Site-specific hazards and emergency procedures
- OH&S rules and requirements
- Incident reporting procedures
- Their right to stop work if unsafe
- Who to contact for OH&S concerns
7.4 Communication
Communication is treated as a designed process, not an afterthought. The organisation decides what OH&S information moves, who needs it, when it goes out, and through what channel. That covers internal flows (workforce, supervisors, executives) and external flows (regulators, contractors, communities, clients).
Communication Planning
Four questions, defined in advance:
a
What — the OH&S topics, events and updates that need to move
b
When — frequency, triggers, time windows
c
To whom — internal audiences, external interested parties
d
How — the channel, format and language that will land with each audience
Internal Communication
Internal OH&S Communication Topics:
- OH&S policy and objectives
- Identified hazards and assessed risks
- OH&S performance and trends
- Incident reports and investigation findings
- Changes to processes, equipment or hazards
- Emergency procedures and preparedness
- Legal and regulatory updates
- Worker suggestions and feedback on OH&S
- Audit and inspection findings
- Management review outcomes
Internal Communication Methods:
- Safety meetings and toolbox talks
- Email notifications and alerts
- Intranet or safety portal
- Notice boards and bulletin displays
- Face-to-face briefings
- Shift handover communications
- Safety committees and worker representatives
- Mobile apps and SMS alerts
External Communication
External OH&S Communication:
- Regulatory Authorities: Incident notifications, compliance reports, inspection responses
- Contractors and Suppliers: OH&S requirements, performance expectations, incident information
- Emergency Services: Emergency response coordination, site hazard information
- Community: Emergency preparedness, impact notifications, community concerns
- Customers: OH&S performance, certification status, contractor safety capabilities
- Workers' Families: Incident notifications, health surveillance results (with consent)
- Media: Serious incident communications, OH&S achievements
Communication runs both ways:
Information flowing from management to workers is only half the channel. The other half is workers raising hazards, asking questions, challenging procedures and feeding back on controls — with a defined route in, an owner who responds, and a record that closes the loop.
Information flowing from management to workers is only half the channel. The other half is workers raising hazards, asking questions, challenging procedures and feeding back on controls — with a defined route in, an owner who responds, and a record that closes the loop.
Worker Participation in Communication
Communication processes reflect the organisation's legal duties and other obligations (e.g. Major Hazard Installation regulations, sector reporting requirements)
Messages going out are consistent, accurate and version-controlled
Workers have a route to feed information back into improvement actions, and they see what happened with their input
Communications are recorded where they form part of the OH&S evidence base — incident notifications, regulator correspondence, contractor briefings, risk communications
Effective Communication Principles:
- Timely (communicated when needed, not delayed)
- Clear and understandable (appropriate language and format)
- Accurate and reliable (factual and verified information)
- Accessible (available to all who need it)
- Relevant (targeted to the audience's needs)
- Two-way (allowing feedback and dialogue)
- Documented (recorded as appropriate for evidence and reference)
7.5 Documented Information
7.5.1 General
The OH&S system runs on two layers of documented information: what ISO 45001 explicitly requires (listed below), plus whatever else the organisation decides it needs to make the system work — local procedures, JSAs, permit templates, contractor packs, MOC forms.
Note on "Documented Information":
ISO 45001 uses the term "documented information" instead of "documents" and "records." This provides flexibility in how organizations maintain their information (paper, electronic, photos, videos, etc.).
- "Maintain documented information" = Keep it current (like a document or procedure)
- "Retain documented information" = Keep it for evidence (like a record)
Mandatory Documented Information in ISO 45001
Required Documented Information:
- Scope of the OH&S management system (4.3)
- OH&S policy (5.2)
- Organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities (5.3)
- Risks and opportunities, legal requirements (6.1, 6.1.3)
- OH&S objectives and plans to achieve them (6.2)
- Evidence of competence (7.2)
- Operational controls for managing OH&S risks (8.1)
- Processes for emergency preparedness and response (8.2)
- Results of monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation (9.1)
- Compliance evaluation results (9.1.2)
- Internal audit programme and results (9.2)
- Results of management reviews (9.3)
- Nature of incidents, nonconformities and corrective actions (10.2)
7.5.2 Creating and Updating
a
Identification — title, date, author, reference number, version
b
Format and media — language, software, graphics, paper or electronic
c
Review and approval before release, signed off as fit for purpose
7.5.3 Control of Documented Information
Two outcomes the control system has to deliver:
a
The current version is available where and when it's needed — at the workface, on the permit, in the operator's hand
b
It's protected from loss, tampering, unauthorised changes and confidentiality breaches
The activities that document control covers:
a
Distribution, access, retrieval, day-to-day use
b
Storage, preservation and legibility — including archive copies
c
Change control and version management
d
Retention periods and end-of-life disposal
e
External documents (regulator updates, supplier MSDS, OEM manuals) flagged and controlled
f
Workers and their representatives have access to the documents that affect them
Document Control Best Practices:
- Use unique identification for each document (number, title, version)
- Implement version control and change tracking
- Ensure current versions are available at point of use
- Prevent use of obsolete documents
- Define document review and approval processes
- Establish retention periods based on legal and business needs
- Protect sensitive or confidential information
- Ensure workers can access documents they need for their work
- Backup electronic documents regularly
Worker access is explicit:
Procedures, risk assessments, MSDS, emergency plans and the documents that govern the work have to be available to the people doing the work — and to their representatives. Restricting access to "management copies only" undermines participation and fails the clause.
Procedures, risk assessments, MSDS, emergency plans and the documents that govern the work have to be available to the people doing the work — and to their representatives. Restricting access to "management copies only" undermines participation and fails the clause.
Common OH&S Documents and Records:
- Documents (Maintain): OH&S policy, procedures, work instructions, risk registers, legal registers, emergency plans, OH&S manual
- Records (Retain): Training records, incident reports, inspection reports, audit reports, medical surveillance records, competence assessments, meeting minutes, monitoring results, corrective action records