The organization should maintain up-to-date documentation that is sufficient to ensure that its OH&S management system can be adequately understood and effectively and efficiently operated. Typical inputs include the following items:
details of the documentation and information systems the — organization develops to support its OH&S management system and OH&S activities, and to fulfil the requirements of OHSAS 18001,
details of responsibilities and authorities, — information on the local environments in which documentation — or information is used, and constraints that this can put on the physical nature of documentation, or the use of electronic or other media.
The organization should review its documentation and information needs for the OH&S management system, before developing the documentation necessary to support its OH&S processes. In deciding what documentation is required the organization should determine where there is any risk that a task, through lack of written procedures or instructions, will not be performed in the required manner.
There is no requirement to develop documentation in a particular format in order to conform to OHSAS 18001, nor is it necessary to
replace existing documentation such as manuals, procedures, or work instructions where these adequately describe required arrangements. If the organization already has an established, documented OH&S management system, it can prove more convenient and effective for it to develop, for example, an overview document describing the inter-relation between its existing procedures and the requirements of OHSAS 18001. Account should be taken of the following:
the responsibilities and authorities of the users of the — documentation and information, as this should lead to consideration of the degree of security and accessibility that needs to be imposed (particularly with electronic media) and change controls (see [FONT=Frutiger 45 Light,Frutiger 45 Light][FONT=Frutiger 45 Light,Frutiger 45 Light][FONT=Frutiger 45 Light,Frutiger 45 Light]4.4.5[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]),
the manner in which physical documentation is used, and the — environment in which it is used, as this can require consideration of the format in which it is presented (e.g. an instruction could be incorporated into a sign rather than a paper document). Similar consideration should be given concerning the environment for the use of electronic equipment for information systems.