Clause 6.2.1: OH&S objectives
The organization sets OH&S objectives for the relevant functions and levels, with the aim of keeping up and continually improving both the system and OH&S performance.
What clause 6.2.1 asks
The organization sets OH&S objectives for the relevant functions and levels, with the aim of keeping up and continually improving both the system and OH&S performance. The objectives match the OH&S policy, can be measured where this is practicable or otherwise lend themselves to performance evaluation, take account of the requirements that apply and of the results of assessing risks and opportunities and of consulting workers, and are monitored, communicated and updated as appropriate.
Objectives are the measurable part of the policy. They have to come from the risk assessment and worker consultation, and they have to include something that leads the lagging injury rate.
Draft 6.2 OH&S objectives and planning to achieve them, from clause 6.2.1. The draft consolidates 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 into a single 6.2. The public summaries do not describe a substantive change to the objectives requirement.
Evidence for clause 6.2.1
An auditor will trace an objective back to a risk or a consultation record, and forward to the indicator and the review.
- ObjectivesDocumented OH&S objectives with measures and targets
- ObjectivesTraceability to the policy, risk assessment results and worker consultation
- ObjectivesMonitoring reports and communication records
Where clause 6.2.1 commonly fails
- Objectives limited to lagging indicators such as injury rates
- No link from risk assessment results to the objectives set
- Workers not consulted on objectives
What to do about clause 6.2.1 before the revision
Keep one lagging objective and add two leading ones, such as control effectiveness or reporting rate. Show the risk and the worker input behind each. Name the indicator, the owner and the review date.
What the record shows for clause 6.2.1
An auditor working on clause 6.2.1 will start with Documented OH&S objectives with measures and targets. The failure this record sees most often is Objectives limited to lagging indicators such as injury rates. Both are carried into the kit as row 15, with an owner field and a dated action.
Read across from clause 6.2.1
Read the next clause in the group, or open the full index. The revision map shows the draft structure.
Source for clause 6.2.1: ISO 45001:2018, clause 6.2.1, retrieved 18 October 2026. The draft note rests on the public DIS contents and the two named summaries; the requirement, evidence and gaps are written from the held clause record. Every source.