The basics of Management of Change
Last week I had the pleasure of presenting a webinar for OHS Online with our partners at ERM. We discussed the basics of Management of Change (MOC) as well as the ROI and VOI that companies can achieve through implementing a formal MOC process. Most companies only have a formal written process if they fall under the OSHA requirements around Process Safety.
We polled the audience during the webinar and found that only 7% of those not legally required to have a documented MOC process had one in place.
Establishing and adhering to a formal MOC process can be a type of insurance that pays by preventing accidents. It is key to define the change and have a clear documented process to be able to effectively review and approve change. The objective of the process is to ensure that more risks are not introduced, or that current risks aren’t elevated with the change. A change can be as simple as a change in procedure or organization, or as complex as a complete overhaul of a complex process. Each affected business unit should evaluate and track actions upon approval. Studies have shown that implementation of a successful MOC process can provide an ROI of 143% vs. 35% for a sub-par process.
If you have not implemented a formal process, look at your organization and identify where it can bring value and mitigate risk. If you are already conducting MOC process under OSHA requirements, look to expand to other business changes for a more holistic MOC program.
