What it means
Management of change, or MOC, is how a site handles a change on purpose. Before a new piece of equipment goes in, a chemical is swapped or a procedure is rewritten, someone looks at what the change could affect and who needs to know.
The review asks what hazards the change adds, whether procedures and training need to change, and who signs off. After the change, the paperwork is updated and the crew is told.
MOC is most formal in process industries, but the idea applies anywhere. Staffing changes and temporary fixes count too. Follow your company's procedure and check any rule that applies.
Why it matters
Many incidents trace back to a change nobody thought through, like a bypassed guard or a swapped part. MOC puts a pause between the idea and the work. It also keeps drawings, procedures and training in step with what's really on the floor.
What it looks like on a site
- Anyone can raise a change request, and a named person reviews it.
- The review covers hazards, procedures, training, equipment and who is affected.
- Approvals are signed before the change is made.
- Temporary changes get an end date, and someone checks that they were undone.
- Affected procedures are updated and the crew is told before work starts under the new setup.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current rule and your own procedures. Back to the glossary