A.8 Operation: guidance, not a requirement
Annex A.8 explains operational planning and control, the hierarchy of controls, management of change, external providers and emergency preparedness. It is guidance, not a requirement. It is the annex that changes most in the draft structure.
What the guidance covers
- How to plan and control the processes that deliver the OH&S system, including criteria and records
- How to work down the hierarchy of controls and why PPE is the last resort
- How to manage planned and unintended change, including temporary change
- How to control externally provided processes, products and services and how to prepare for emergencies
How to use it
Use A.8 when a procedure says what to do but not how anyone knows it was done. The guidance supports observable criteria, a record at the point of work and a review after a change. It also supports the three-direction contractor assessment.
What it does not add
A.8 does not require a permit-to-work system, a specific hierarchy tool or a particular emergency plan format. It does not make every task a controlled procedure. The requirements remain in Clause 8.
The draft adds 8.1.3 Occupational health and 8.1.4 Return to work, moves management of change to 8.1.5 and replaces procurement with 8.1.6 Externally provided processes, products and services. The public summaries describe this as the area with the most practical change.
Read across
Source for Annex A.8: ISO 45001:2018, Annex A, informative, retrieved 18 October 2026. The draft note rests on the public DIS contents and the named summaries. Every source.