Control of Documented Information
To ensure that Health and Safety Records are retained, to enable the organisation to demonstrate that contractually agreed product or service delivery requirements have been met, and system requirements in terms of compliance have also been met.
For the control of documented information, the organisation will address the following activities, as applicable:
- distribution, access, retrieval, and use
- storage and preservation, including preservation of legibility
- control of changes (e.g., version control)
- retention and disposition
- access by workers, and where they exist, workers’ representatives, to relevant documented information.
Documented information of external origin determined by the organisation to be necessary for the planning and operation of the OH&S management system will be identified as appropriate and controlled.
NOTE: Access can imply a decision regarding the permission to view the documented information only, or the permission and authority to view and change the documented information.
Records are stored as shown in the table below.
- The records are easily accessible in facilities which will minimise deterioration, damage, or loss.
- If there is an overflow, the archive document is stored in the below location until the retention time ends.
- When a Health and Safety record has expired, it is removed and destroyed or discarded.
| Record | Retention Time | Location |
| Current policy document (Hard Copy) | 2 Years | |
| Current policy document (Soft Copy) | 2 Years | |
| Current supported documentation (Hard Copy) | 2 Years | |
| Current supported documentation (Soft Copy) | 2 Years | |
| Archived policy and support documentation (Hard Copy) | 7 Years minimum | |
| Archived policy and support documentation (Soft Copy) | 7 Years minimum |
Back Up Procedure
- To be completed by every days
Documented information is information required to be controlled and maintained by an organisation and the medium on which is it contained – it can be in any format and media and from any source.
It can refer to:
- a) the management system, including related processes
- b) information created for the organisation to operate (documentation)
- c) evidence of results achieved (records).