Clause 7.5.3: Control of documented information
Documented information that the standard, or the OH&S management system itself, calls for is controlled so that it can be found and used, in a fit state, at the place and time it is needed, and so that it is properly protected.
What clause 7.5.3 asks
Documented information that the standard, or the OH&S management system itself, calls for is controlled so that it can be found and used, in a fit state, at the place and time it is needed, and so that it is properly protected. Control covers how it is distributed, accessed, retrieved and used; how it is stored and preserved, legibility included; how changes are controlled; and how long it is kept and how it is disposed of. Documented information from outside sources that the organization judges necessary is identified and controlled.
Control means the right person can find the right version at the right time, and the wrong version cannot be used. It also covers retention and disposal, including external documents such as safety data sheets.
Draft 7.5.3 Control of documented information, from clause 7.5.3. The public draft contents keep the clause at 7.5.3, on control of documented information. No substantive change to distribution, access, storage, retention or the control of external documents is described in the summaries held.
Evidence for clause 7.5.3
An auditor will go to a workstation and ask for the current procedure, then check a safety data sheet is current.
- Document controlDocument control procedure covering access, change, retention and disposal
- Document controlControlled register of external documents (regulations, safety data sheets, manufacturer instructions)
- Document controlRetention schedule including health surveillance and exposure records
- Document controlEvidence current versions are available at the point of use
Where clause 7.5.3 commonly fails
- Superseded procedures in use at sites
- Safety data sheets out of date
- Health records not retained for the statutory period
What to do about clause 7.5.3 before the revision
Check the point of use at two sites. Withdraw superseded copies. Update external documents on a schedule. Set retention periods for health, exposure and incident records, and show the disposal record.
What the record shows for clause 7.5.3
An auditor working on clause 7.5.3 will start with Document control procedure covering access, change, retention and disposal. The failure this record sees most often is Superseded procedures in use at sites. Both are carried into the kit as row 25, with an owner field and a dated action.
Read across from clause 7.5.3
Read the next clause in the group, or open the full index. The revision map shows the draft structure.
Source for clause 7.5.3: ISO 45001:2018, clause 7.5.3, 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.