QEHSQuality
Document control
The systematic management of documents — creation, review, approval, distribution, revision, and obsolescence — ensuring the right version is used.
Document control is required by all ISO management system standards (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001). Key elements include: unique document identification, version control, approval before issue, distribution to points of use, prevention of unintended use of obsolete documents, and periodic review. A controlled document is one whose distribution and revision are managed — the opposite of an uncontrolled copy printed from a shared drive. In modern QEHS platforms, document control is digital: workflows for review and approval, read-receipt tracking, and automatic notification when a new revision is published.