Clause 9.2.1: General
At planned intervals the organization carries out internal audits that tell it whether its OH&S management system meets the organization's own requirements for that system (its policy and objectives included) and the requirements of the standard, and whether the system is implemented and maintained effectively..
What clause 9.2.1 asks
At planned intervals the organization carries out internal audits that tell it whether its OH&S management system meets the organization's own requirements for that system (its policy and objectives included) and the requirements of the standard, and whether the system is implemented and maintained effectively.
An internal audit tests conformity and effectiveness. The second word is the one that fails most often: paperwork can conform while the work does not.
Draft 9.2.1 General, from clause 9.2.1. The public draft contents keep 9.2.1. No substantive change is described in the summaries held.
Evidence for clause 9.2.1
An auditor will read an internal audit report and ask which work was observed, not which documents were read.
- Internal auditAudit reports covering conformity to own requirements and to the standard
- Internal auditEvidence audits assess implementation, not only documentation
Where clause 9.2.1 commonly fails
- Audits check paperwork and never observe work
- Objectives and policy commitments not audited
What to do about clause 9.2.1 before the revision
Add site observation to every audit. Audit the policy commitments and the objectives, not only the procedures. Record what was seen against the criteria. Keep the working papers.
What the record shows for clause 9.2.1
An auditor working on clause 9.2.1 will start with Audit reports covering conformity to own requirements and to the standard. The failure this record sees most often is Audits check paperwork and never observe work. Both are carried into the kit as row 35, with an owner field and a dated action.
Read across from clause 9.2.1
Read the next clause in the group, or open the full index. The revision map shows the draft structure.
Source for clause 9.2.1: ISO 45001:2018, clause 9.2.1, 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.