Management of Changes
What is Management of Change (MOC)?
Management of Change, or MOC, is a best practice used to ensure that safety, health and environmental risks are controlled when a company makes changes in their facilities, documentation, personnel, or operations.
When decisions and changes are made rapidly, safety and health risks can increase resulting in disasters such as explosions at the oil refinery and detergent plant described in the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s 2001 “Management of Change” safety bulletin. There are many other notable examples of how even simple changes at a worksite have led to tragedy.
At worksites where highly hazardous chemicals are used, the Process Safety Management (PSM) rules apply and proper application of Management of Change is not just a best practice, but is actually a requirement. In these cases, a MOC program is used to ensure all changes to a process are properly reviewed and any hazards introduced by the change are identified, analyzed, and controlled before resuming operation.
MOC often seems deceptively simple in concept, but can be very effective in the prevention of accidents and can be used as a best practice at worksites where the Process Safety Management rule doesn’t apply.
When is MOC used?
Generally, a business need or opportunity becomes a project or business solution and requires changes in the workplace that can affect processes, systems, people, or organizational structure. Think about whether implementing this change improves your safety program and makes good business sense.
One obvious benefit Management of Change gives is avoiding the consequences of unforeseen safety and health hazards through planning and coordinating the implementation of change in your facility. This is why Management of Change is required in the PSM rules when highly hazardous chemicals are used.
What are the benefits of MOC? 1 It minimizes unplanned adverse impacts on system integrity, security,
Management of Change, or MOC, is a best practice used to ensure that safety, health and environmental risks are controlled when a company makes changes in their facilities, documentation, personnel, or operations.
When decisions and changes are made rapidly, safety and health risks can increase resulting in disasters such as explosions at the oil refinery and detergent plant described in the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s 2001 “Management of Change” safety bulletin. There are many other notable examples of how even simple changes at a worksite have led to tragedy.
At worksites where highly hazardous chemicals are used, the Process Safety Management (PSM) rules apply and proper application of Management of Change is not just a best practice, but is actually a requirement. In these cases, a MOC program is used to ensure all changes to a process are properly reviewed and any hazards introduced by the change are identified, analyzed, and controlled before resuming operation.
MOC often seems deceptively simple in concept, but can be very effective in the prevention of accidents and can be used as a best practice at worksites where the Process Safety Management rule doesn’t apply.
When is MOC used?
Generally, a business need or opportunity becomes a project or business solution and requires changes in the workplace that can affect processes, systems, people, or organizational structure. Think about whether implementing this change improves your safety program and makes good business sense.
One obvious benefit Management of Change gives is avoiding the consequences of unforeseen safety and health hazards through planning and coordinating the implementation of change in your facility. This is why Management of Change is required in the PSM rules when highly hazardous chemicals are used.
What are the benefits of MOC? 1 It minimizes unplanned adverse impacts on system integrity, security,