Feeding review outputs into action and development plans

Every management review should produce decisions about whether the OHS management system remains suitable and effective. These decisions should determine:

• the future direction of the system, based on the safety policy, business strategies and overall operating conditions
• the need for changes to the policy, priorities, objectives, resources or other parts of the system

The changes needed will be specific to the organisation and can affect any element of the management system, including changes to the OHS policy, revised objectives and a greater need for competence.

One of the key purposes of the review is to take opportunities for continual improvement. These can come from shortfalls against benchmarked best practice, and also from finding where new technology can reduce risk at reasonable cost. Other improvements may be about making sure the system is fully integrated into the business.

Any change or improvement may have resource implications, and the review should identify what they are. How the change is managed will depend on the outcomes of the review.

A review may conclude that effective arrangements should remain in place, with no new action needed. Record the evidence and reasons and continue monitoring; a valid review does not have to invent actions. Recognition should reward effective control, participation and learning, without discouraging incident reporting.

Further Reading

• Guidelines for auditing management systems (ISO 19011)
• Guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems (ILO-OSH 2001)
• ILO Code of Practice, Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases
• Investigating accidents and incidents (HSG245), HSE
• ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems

Summary notes for Element 4 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.