4.2 Understanding the Needs and Expectations of Interested Parties [ISO 45001 Procedure]

Clause 4.2 of ISO 45001:2018 requires organizations to identify relevant interested parties (the term stakeholder can be used) and determine their expressed and relevant needs and expectations. An ‘interested party’ is a person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity of your organization.

Identify your Interested Parties

The first task in meeting the requirements of this clause is to identify all the stakeholders and interested parties and undertake a comprehensive stakeholder analysis. The Context & Interested Parties Matrix will also provide useful information that will further underpin the requirements of Clause 4.3, 6.1 and 9.1.2. A workshop approach should be encouraged which can be undertaken independent to, or in conjunction with the context review workshop.

Examples of Interested Parties

Who might affect or be affected by your activities and what their relevant and significant interests might be? Have you taken their needs into account within the OH&S management system?

• Managerial, and non-managerial workers, and workers representatives (where they exist)
• Affect OH&S management system or which perceive themselves to be affected by OH&S system (A.4.2)
• Worker and appropriate workers’ representatives
• Legal and regulatory authorities
• Parent organizations
• Suppliers, co-contractors and subcontractors
• Workers’ organizations (trade unions) and employers’ organizations
• Owners, shareholders, clients, visitors, local community, neighbours, general public
• Occupational health and safety organizations; occupational safety and health-care professionals (e.g.;, doctors, nurses)

Legal and Compliance Obligations

Once the interested parties (stakeholders) are identified, the next step is to consider which stakeholder requirements generate legal and compliance obligations.

Needs and Expectations - Documentation

The needs and expectation of interested parties can initially be captured using the Context & Interested Parties Matrix. Using this template, the respective Departmental Managers should identify and list the needs and expectations of any interested parties in relation with their department that may have potential impact on the achievement of your organization’s objectives and policy, the conformity of our products, services and management system performance.

This information should be retained as a strategy or tactical planning document to underpin your organization’s policies and to provide a road map to achieve future goals.

Based on the scoring output, consider and implement handling approaches, to manage and comply with the needs and expectations of our interested parties. The Context & Interested Parties Matrix should be reviewed by Top Management for acceptance and incorporation into the health and safety management system via addition to the scope, or incorporation into customer requirements, operational activities, process controls, hazard and aspect registers, risk and opportunity registers, and legal and compliance registers.

Communication

Communicating with stakeholders, particularly in relation to legal requirements is vital. Communication with stakeholders should be based on performance data generated by your organization’s OH&S, which will require robust monitoring and measurement to ensure that the data is reliable.

You should ensure that the monitoring and measurement processes are included in the internal audit program so your organization can assure itself that the checking processes and validated and that the data it is communicating is accurate.