What is Management Of Change?

Management of Change (MoC) is designed to manage planned and unplanned change effectively within an organisation with the aim of minimising the risk of failure when safety-critical change occurs.

The MoC principle can be applied across all aspects of business management such as waste management and environmental issues, personnel and HR management, information technology, project management, finance, operations as well as safety management. Managing change effectively reduces workplace risk and the likelihood and severity of accidents or incidents and, therefore, can have a huge impact on profitability.

In some jurisdictions, where failings in the MoC processes have been identified as a contributory factor in serious accidents, certain high risk industries are legally required to address work procedures relating to MoC in their safety management systems.[1]

For safety management purposes, some or all of the following functions (although the list is not exhaustive) may be considered when defining where change can occur within an organisation:

• Safety-critical personnel: Managing changes to safety-critical staff at short notice due to an emergency situation.

• Organisational changes and staffing levels: Ensuring that changes to work shifts and reductions in staff levels within the organisation or to contractors do not have a negative impact.

• Operational plant and equipment: Managing changes to construction materials, design and equipment configurations.

• Emergency systems and equipment: Ensuring the compatibility of new equipment, and that emergency systems are sufficient for when new operations or processes are introduced, etc.

• Safety systems and equipment: Managing changes such as allowing operational equipment to run with safety systems disabled or removed.

• Work procedures, drawings and related documentation: Managing changes in drawings or documentation that relate to equipment or work activities.

• Work processes: Managing changes to instrumentation, controls, computer systems and software systems.

• Project or construction management: Managing changes to specifications and work schedules.

• Legal Acts, regulations and legal guidance: Managing changes which can be the result of updates and revisions to existing legislation and / or the issuance of new legislation.

It is critical that temporary change within an organisation is covered under MoC procedures. Temporary changes (involving equipment, processes, personnel, etc) can be a contributory factor in serious accidents as there can be a tendency for them to become permanent if not properly tracked, monitored and managed.

Management Of Change:

Management of Change (MoC) is designed to manage planned and unplanned change effectively within an organisation with the aim of minimising the risk of failure when safety-critical change occurs.

The MoC principle can be applied across all aspects of business management such as waste management and environmental issues, personnel and HR management, information technology, project management, finance, operations as well as safety management. Managing change effectively reduces workplace risk and the likelihood and severity of accidents or incidents and, therefore, can have a huge impact on profitability.

In some jurisdictions, where failings in the MoC processes have been identified as a contributory factor in serious accidents, certain high risk industries are legally required to address work procedures relating to MoC in their safety management systems.[1]

For safety management purposes, some or all of the following functions (although the list is not exhaustive) may be considered when defining where change can occur within an organisation:

• Safety-critical personnel: Managing changes to safety-critical staff at short notice due to an emergency situation.

• Organisational changes and staffing levels: Ensuring that changes to work shifts and reductions in staff levels within the organisation or to contractors do not have a negative impact.

• Operational plant and equipment: Managing changes to construction materials, design and equipment configurations.

• Emergency systems and equipment: Ensuring the compatibility of new equipment, and that emergency systems are sufficient for when new operations or processes are introduced, etc.

• Safety systems and equipment: Managing changes such as allowing operational equipment to run with safety systems disabled or removed.

• Work procedures, drawings and related documentation: Managing changes in drawings or documentation that relate to equipment or work activities.

• Work processes: Managing changes to instrumentation, controls, computer systems and software systems.

• Project or construction management: Managing changes to specifications and work schedules.

• Legal Acts, regulations and legal guidance: Managing changes which can be the result of updates and revisions to existing legislation and / or the issuance of new legislation.

It is critical that temporary change within an organisation is covered under MoC procedures. Temporary changes (involving equipment, processes, personnel, etc) can be a contributory factor in serious accidents as there can be a tendency for them to become permanent if not properly tracked, monitored and managed.