Each step includes practical advice, real examples, expanded tips, and shows how AvISO and ISOvA support your journey to certification and beyond.
(Clause 4: Context of the Organisation)
What Clause 4 Covers
This clause helps you define the scope and strategic alignment of your OH&S Management System. It requires you to
• Identify internal and external issues that affect OH&S performance
• Understand the needs of workers and other interested parties
• Define the scope of the OH&S Management System
• Establish and document processes relevant to workplace safety
How to
• Map your organisational risks, industry hazards, and legal drivers
• Engage workers, clients, insurers, and regulators as interested parties
• Define the boundaries of your OH&S system, including exclusions
• Identify key OH&S processes and current arrangements
Example
A logistics firm includes drivers, depots, and office staff in scope, but excludes self-employed delivery agents working under separate contracts.
Risks if Overlooked
• Failure to address key risks or third-party impacts
• Misaligned scope with business operations
• Gaps in understanding worker expectations
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Context mapping and OH&S gap analysis
• Legal register creation including health and safety laws
• Templates for scope definition and risk contextualisation
(Clause 5: Leadership)
What Clause 5 Covers
Top management must actively lead and support health and safety. This includes
• Setting an OH&S policy aligned with strategic goals
• Ensuring roles and responsibilities are clear
• Promoting a culture of consultation, participation, and continual improvement
How to
• Create and share a leadership-signed OH&S policy
• Assign responsibilities for risk assessments, incident reporting, and worker involvement
• Lead from the top on health and safety communications
Example
A construction CEO includes OH&S targets in quarterly performance reviews and chairs a monthly safety steering group.
Risks if Overlooked
• OH&S seen as a compliance function, not strategic priority
• Poor engagement with frontline teams
• Resistance to system changes due to lack of leadership modelling
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Leadership coaching and OH&S briefings
• Performance dashboards with visibility for managers and directors
• Consultation frameworks and policy development tools
(Clause 6: Planning)
What Clause 6 Covers
Planning involves identifying and addressing hazards, legal obligations, and improvement opportunities. It includes
• Risk and opportunity assessment
• Compliance obligation mapping
• Setting OH&S objectives and plans to achieve them
How to
• Identify hazards through task-based risk assessments
• Record applicable OH&S legislation, codes of practice, and client rules
• Set SMART safety objectives with resources, responsibilities, and timelines
Example
An engineering firm sets a goal to reduce manual handling injuries by 40 percent in 12 months through training and revised handling protocols.
Risks if Overlooked
• Missed legal requirements or outdated risk assessments
• Objectives that don’t reflect operational needs
• Inadequate resources to implement changes
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Risk register development linked to OH&S hazards
• Planning workshops and legal reviews
• Integrated objectives tracking and compliance status updates
(Clause 7: Support)
What Clause 7 Covers
Support ensures the system is resourced, communicated, and understood. It includes
• Worker competence and training
• OH&S awareness and communication
• Control of documents and records
How to
• Develop a training matrix for roles involving risk
• Provide refresher sessions, toolbox talks, and mental health training
• Store risk assessments, procedures, and incident logs with version control
Example
A warehousing company runs mandatory quarterly safety briefings and tracks staff attendance and understanding.
Risks if Overlooked
• Staff unaware of safety procedures or reporting methods
• Documents out of date or uncontrolled
• Inconsistent safety messaging across teams or shifts
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Safety and internal auditor training
• Documented information system with permissions and audit trails
• Toolbox talk templates and competence tracking tools
(Clause 8: Operation)
What Clause 8 Covers
Operation ensures the safe delivery of your services. It includes
• Risk controls for hazardous tasks and sites
• Management of outsourced processes
• Preparedness for emergencies and change
How to
• Develop safe systems of work for high-risk activities
• Conduct contractor inductions and check method statements
• Prepare and test emergency plans for fire, injury, or chemical spills
Example
A manufacturing plant implements a permit-to-work system for maintenance work, tracked through ISOvA.
Risks if Overlooked
• Safety systems that exist only on paper
• Contractors not adhering to site controls
• Delays or errors in emergency response
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Process control documentation and guidance
• Operational risk and aspect registers
• Emergency plan templates and contractor compliance tracking
(Clause 9: Performance Evaluation)
What Clause 9 Covers
This clause focuses on reviewing and learning from system performance. It includes
• Monitoring and measurement of OH&S performance
• Internal audits
• Leadership-led management reviews
How to
• Track leading and lagging indicators (e.g. incident rates, audit scores, near misses)
• Run internal audits across all relevant processes and shifts
• Hold management reviews covering risks, compliance, and worker feedback
Example
A services company includes HSE performance in quarterly board reviews and links KPIs to operational planning.
Risks if Overlooked
• Declining safety performance unnoticed until incidents occur
• No lessons learned from audits or feedback
• Low engagement from leadership or workers
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Internal audits and evaluation reviews
• Audit dashboards and performance trackers
• Management review templates tailored to OH&S
(Clause 10: Improvement)
What Clause 10 Covers
Improvement requires organisations to investigate problems and improve proactively. It includes
• Corrective actions and root cause analysis
• Evaluation of action effectiveness
• Continuous learning and risk reduction
How to
• Record incidents, near misses, and improvement ideas
• Investigate all serious cases with root cause tools
• Review effectiveness of actions and report learning
Example
A food production site logs a series of minor slips and updates its flooring policy, footwear rules, and cleaning schedules.
Risks if Overlooked
• Repeat incidents from unaddressed root causes
• Failure to act on valuable worker input
• A reactive rather than proactive safety culture
How AvISO and ISOvA Help
• Corrective action planning and incident investigation workshops
• Improvement tracking tools linked to risk and audit data
• Ongoing retained consultancy for culture and system development
Need help with our how-to guide, have a question, or want to know more about how we can help you gain certification? Get in touch.
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