Management of Change (MOC) Procedure Template

What a management of change procedure is

A management of change procedure is the process you follow before altering anything that could affect the safety or integrity of your operations. The change might be organisational, such as a shift in personnel assignments or a modification to the organisational structure, or operational, such as a modification to machinery, equipment, or systems. The purpose is to identify, evaluate, and control the occupational health and safety risks that the change introduces. You review existing procedures, assess the potential hazards, and confirm that the change does not breach applicable legal and industry standards. A management of change review is broader than a single hazard assessment. It looks at how a change ripples outward, from engineering and design through quality, personnel, contractors, and the surrounding community.

Why it matters

Changes are the point at which well-understood operations become less predictable. A modification to control software can alter how a safety device behaves. A change in operating personnel can leave gaps in responsibility. A new material can change what waste you generate or what emergency response you need. By reviewing these consequences in advance, you can act while the change is still a proposal. You can update procedures and training materials, adjust pre-start inspection schedules, confirm whether certifications, exemptions, or permits remain valid, and provide any new personal protective equipment the change requires. The review also puts a decision on record. Each question is answered yes, no, or not applicable, and the review is signed, so you can show that the risks were considered and the controls decided before implementation.

What a good management of change review covers

A thorough review works through every area where a change can have consequences. The template's 44 questions are organised into eleven areas: - **Management of Change** — the change initiator, a detailed description of the change, its area or location, and the proposed date and time for implementation. - **Information** — the date, who prepared the review, and the location. - **Engineering** — modifications to the original design of machinery, equipment, or systems; effects on maintenance procedures, equipment operating methods, or safety devices; adverse effects on operating pressures, temperatures, lubrication, emissions, vibration, or ergonomics; and any new construction, modification of existing facilities, or decommissioning. - **Operating and Design** — excavation, soil or groundwater contamination, radioactive, hazardous, or mixed waste, large quantities of flammable liquids, combustible liquids heated at or above their flashpoints, storage tanks or large quantities of hazardous materials, high-energy sources, changes to pre-start inspection schedules, the validity of certifications, exemptions, or permits, alterations to hardware or control software systems, and effects on emergency response procedures. - **Quality** — impacts on the quality of the product or service delivered and on the quality of maintenance activities performed. - **Operating Personnel** — changes in operating personnel assignments, modified areas of responsibility, and any additional training required. - **External Personnel on the Site** — additional contractor personnel beyond the current contract, changes to the scope of work performed by contractor personnel, and whether a different contractor company is needed. - **Regulations, Standards, or Code of Practice** — significant updates to applicable regulations, standard operating procedures, or codes of practice, updates to existing procedures or training materials, and whether the change is not adequately covered by existing procedures or codes of practice. - **Organisational Structures** — significant modifications to the organisational structure. - **Suppliers, Community, and Client/User** — additional health, safety, or environmental risks, additional financial risk to shareholders or stakeholders, and legal implications affecting suppliers, clients, end-users, or the community. - **Other Considerations** — additional health and safety risks to personnel, additional environmental risk from airborne emissions, liquid effluents, or solid waste, impacts on the approved environmental management system, new or additional personal protective equipment, and any negative impact on identified fatal risks.

How to carry out the review

1. **Describe the change.** Record who initiated it, what it involves, where it applies, and when it is proposed to take effect. 2. **Work through each area of impact.** Answer each question yes, no, or not applicable. Where a question does not apply, mark it so, and keep the reasoning visible through the completed record. 3. **Flag knock-on effects.** If the change affects procedures, training materials, pre-start inspection schedules, permits, certifications, or exemptions, note what needs updating. 4. **Decide the controls.** Identify the additional training, personal protective equipment, or procedure changes the assessment calls for. 5. **Sign off.** Confirm the review is complete and record the dates, so the decision and the basis for it are documented.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a structured review carried out before any organisational or operational change is implemented. You identify the change, evaluate the occupational health and safety risks it introduces, and put controls in place so the change does not create new hazards or undermine existing ones.

Change can quietly invalidate assumptions behind existing safety arrangements. A modification to machinery, a shift in personnel assignments, or a new hazardous material can affect pressures, temperatures, emissions, emergency response, or the validity of permits and certifications. Reviewing before implementation lets you catch those effects while they are still cheap and easy to manage.

It should capture the change itself, then work through its consequences across engineering, operating and design, quality, personnel, contractors, and the surrounding community. That includes effects on maintenance and safety devices, waste and emissions, organisational structure, training needs, and any legal or regulatory implications.

Start by recording who initiated the change, what it is, where it applies, and when it is proposed to take effect. Then work through each area of impact in turn, answering yes, no, or not applicable, and noting where existing procedures, permits, or certifications need to change. Finish with sign-off from the responsible person.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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