Document Control Procedure

Nomenclature

Term	Definition
CEO	Chief Executive Officer
IMS	Integrated Management System
ISO	International Organization for Standardization
WHS	Work Health and Safety
WMS	Westlink Management System

Purpose

This procedure defines how documented information within the Westlink Management System (WMS) is created, reviewed, approved, published, revised, and retired under controlled conditions. It ensures that all documented information is adequate, current, and available to authorised personnel at the point of use.

Scope

This procedure applies to all documented information that forms part of, or supports, the Westlink integrated management system (Quality, WHS, and Environment). It covers:

• WMS documents — policies, procedures, plans, standards, manuals, guidelines, forms, templates, checklists, and schedules held in the WMS Documents library in SharePoint.

• Project and job documentation — project-specific documents held in the relevant SharePoint project site.

• Records — documents providing evidence of conformity, held per GOV-SCH-001 (Document Retention Schedule).

• External documents — standards, legislation, codes of practice, and client-supplied documents referenced by the WMS.

Document naming conventions, security classifications, and document type definitions are established in GOV-STD-001 (Document Management Standard). Retention periods and disposal methods are established in GOV-SCH-001 (Document Retention Schedule). This procedure should be read in conjunction with both documents.

Definitions

Term	Definition
Controlled document	A document managed under this procedure with version control, access control, and an assigned owner. The current approved version is the only version authorised for use.
Document Controller	The person responsible for administering the WMS Documents library, maintaining version control, and ensuring documents are correctly formatted and published.
Documented information	Information that an organisation is required to control and maintain, and the medium on which it is contained (ISO 9001:2015 cl.3.8.6).
Major version	A whole-number revision (e.g. 1.0, 2.0) indicating an approved, published document. Only major versions are authorised for use.
Minor version	A decimal revision (e.g. 1.1, 1.2) indicating a draft or in-review document that has not yet been approved for use.
Process Owner	The person accountable for the content and operational accuracy of a document. Typically the manager of the business function to which the document applies.

Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility	When
CEO	Approve policies and high-level governance documents. Delegate approval authority for operational documents to relevant managers. Approve document retirement requests for governance documents.	As required
Document Controller	Administer the WMS Documents library in SharePoint. Assign document references per GOV-STD-001. Check formatting, metadata, and template compliance before publication. Notify personnel of new or revised documents. Maintain the document register.	Each document lifecycle event
Process Owner	Determine whether a new document or revision is required. Ensure document content reflects actual operations. Identify reviewers based on scope of change. Accept or decline review feedback. Submit document for approval.	Each document lifecycle event
Author	Draft document content using the correct WMS template. Apply tracked changes for revisions. Address review comments. Update revision history table.	Document creation or revision
Reviewer	Review document content for accuracy, consistency, and compliance with applicable requirements (contractual, legislative, standard). Provide feedback within the agreed review period.	When nominated by Process Owner
All Workers	Use only the current approved version of documents. Report errors or improvement opportunities to the Process Owner or Document Controller. Treat printed copies as uncontrolled unless stamped CONTROLLED COPY.	Ongoing

Procedure

Document Creation

A new document may be initiated when a gap in documented information is identified through internal audit, management review, legislative change, client requirement, or operational need.

• The initiator discusses the need with the relevant Process Owner to confirm the document is required and does not duplicate existing documentation.

• The Process Owner assigns an Author and confirms the document type (policy, procedure, plan, etc.).

• The Document Controller assigns a document reference number per GOV-STD-001 and provides the correct WMS template.

• The Author drafts the document using the assigned template, applying the styles and structure defined in the template. The draft is saved as a minor version (0.1) in the WMS Documents library.

• The Author completes the document metadata in SharePoint: title, business function, document type, security classification, and defence classification per GOV-STD-001.

Document Review

All new documents and substantive revisions must be reviewed before approval. The scope of review depends on the nature and impact of the document.

• The Process Owner identifies reviewers based on the document’s scope. At minimum, a representative from each function affected by the document must review it.

• The Document Controller distributes the document to reviewers with a specified review period. The default review period is 5 business days unless otherwise agreed.

• Reviewers provide feedback using tracked changes or comments in the document. Review comments must address accuracy, consistency, compliance with applicable standards and legislation, and operational practicality.

• The Author addresses all review comments — accepting, rejecting (with documented rationale), or modifying. The Process Owner resolves any disputes.

• For minor changes (typographical corrections, formatting, updated contact details), the Process Owner may approve directly without distributing for review.

Document Approval

Approval confirms that the document is adequate for its intended purpose and is authorised for use.

Document Type	Approval Authority
Policies (POL)	CEO
Procedures, Standards, Manuals, Plans	CEO or delegated manager (Process Owner’s line manager)
Guidelines, Forms, Templates, Checklists	Process Owner
Project-specific documents	Project Manager (or as required by client procedure)

Approved methods of recording approval, in order of preference:

• SharePoint approval workflow — the approver publishes the document as the next major version.

• Electronic signature applied to the document via an appropriate tool (e.g. DocuSign, Adobe Sign).

• Traceable email approval — the approver confirms approval in writing via email. The email is retained as a record.

• Wet signature — the approver signs a printed copy, which is scanned and attached to the document record. A scanned image of a signature inserted into a document is not acceptable.

The Author and the Reviewer must be different people. The Author and Approver may be the same person, and the Reviewer and Approver may be the same person.

If the Approver rejects the document, it is returned to the Author with the reasons for rejection. The Author addresses the issues and resubmits for approval.

Document Publication

Publication makes the approved document available for use. Only published major versions are authorised for operational use.

• The Document Controller verifies that the document is correctly formatted, uses the correct template, and has complete metadata in SharePoint (title, business function, document type, security classification, revision number, publish date, review due date).

• The document is published as the next major version in the WMS Documents library. SharePoint automatically retains the previous version in version history.

• The Document Controller notifies affected personnel of the new or revised document via email or Teams announcement. The notification includes the document reference, title, a brief summary of changes (for revisions), and a link to the document.

• For documents published to the WMS intranet, the Document Controller regenerates the HTML library and deploys to the intranet site.

Printed copies of WMS documents are uncontrolled unless stamped CONTROLLED COPY by the Document Controller. Workers must verify they are using the current version by checking the WMS Documents library or intranet.

Document Revision

Documents are revised when their content no longer reflects current operations, when legislation or standards change, when audit findings require corrective action, or when improvement opportunities are identified.

• The initiator raises the need for revision with the Process Owner. Changes driven by audit findings, incidents, or legislative changes are prioritised.

• The Process Owner confirms the revision is required and assigns an Author.

• The Author checks out the document in SharePoint to prevent concurrent editing, and makes changes using tracked changes so reviewers can identify what has been modified.

• The Author updates the revision history table with the new revision number, date, reason for change, and author. The reason-for-change text is mandatory: it is extracted at upload time and stored in the SharePoint Change Summary metadata column, making the rationale queryable for audit and discoverable in change-notification emails. An empty reason-for-change cell will cause the upload to fail validation.

• The revised document follows the review and approval process in Sections 5.2 and 5.3. Each revision increments the major version number on approval.

Handwritten amendments to documents are not accepted, except for redline mark-ups on drawings and wet signatures on approval blocks.

Scheduled Review

All WMS documents are subject to periodic review to confirm they remain current and fit for purpose. Review cadence is set in the document metadata per GOV-STD-001.

Review Cadence	Document Types
Annual	Policies, procedures, standards, manuals, plans, guidelines
Biennial (2 years)	Forms, templates, checklists, schedules (unless otherwise specified)

The Document Controller monitors review due dates via the WMS Documents library and notifies the Process Owner at least 30 days before a document’s review is due.

A review may result in no change (the document is reaffirmed with a new review date), a revision (following Section 5.5), or retirement (following Section 5.7). The review outcome is recorded in the document’s version history.

Unscheduled reviews may be triggered by legislative or regulatory changes, audit findings, incident investigations, management review actions, organisational restructure, or changes to applicable standards.

Document Retirement

A document is retired when it is no longer required, has been superseded by another document, or the process it describes has been discontinued.

• The Process Owner submits a retirement request to the Document Controller, stating the reason for retirement and identifying any superseding document.

• The Approval Authority for the document type (per Section 5.3) approves the retirement.

• The Document Controller changes the document status to ‘Retired’ in SharePoint. The document remains in the library for historical reference but is clearly marked as retired and removed from active views.

• The Document Controller notifies affected personnel that the document has been retired, and identifies the superseding document if applicable.

• Retention of the retired document follows GOV-SCH-001 (Document Retention Schedule).

External Document Control

External documents referenced by the WMS (standards, legislation, codes of practice, client-supplied documents) are controlled to ensure the current version is available and obsolete versions are withdrawn.

• The Document Controller maintains a register of external documents referenced by the WMS, including the current edition or version.

• Subscription services, legislative alerts, and standards body notifications are used to monitor for updates to referenced external documents.

• When an external document is updated, the Document Controller notifies the relevant Process Owner to assess the impact on WMS documents and initiate revisions if required.

• Client-supplied documents are controlled within the relevant project site in SharePoint. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring the current version is in use.

Organisational Knowledge

Westlink determines and maintains the knowledge necessary for the operation of its processes and to achieve conformity of products and services (ISO 9001:2015 cl.7.1.6).

Internal Knowledge Sources

• Lessons learned from nonconformities, corrective actions, near misses, and successful outcomes.

• Intellectual property, operational experience, and undocumented expertise captured through mentoring and succession planning.

• Results of management review, internal audit, and continual improvement activities.

External Knowledge Sources

• ISO and other standards, legislative updates, industry publications, and research.

• Knowledge gained from clients, suppliers, and partners including specification requirements.

• Benchmarking, industry conferences, and professional development activities.

Organisational knowledge is shared through the WMS document library, team meetings, induction and training programs, and the company intranet. Changes to organisational knowledge are reflected in WMS document revisions as needed.

Records

Record	Location	Responsible	Retention
WMS Documents register (current and retired)	SharePoint WMS Documents library	Document Controller	Life of organisation
Document version history	SharePoint version history (automatic)	Document Controller	Life of document + 5 years
Approval records (workflow, email, signature)	SharePoint / email archive	Document Controller	Life of document + 5 years
Review comments and tracked changes	SharePoint version history	Author	Life of document + 2 prior versions
Change request records	Email / SharePoint	Process Owner	Life of document + 5 years
Retirement approvals	Email / SharePoint	Document Controller	7 years post-retirement
External document register	WMS library or Document Controller’s records	Document Controller	Current version

For retention periods and disposal methods for all record types, refer to GOV-SCH-001 (Document Retention Schedule).

References

Related WMS documents:

• GOV-STD-001 — Document Management Standard (naming conventions, classifications, document types)

• GOV-SCH-001 — Document Retention Schedule (retention periods, disposal methods)

• QHSE-MAN-001 — Westlink Management System Manual

• TEC-POL-001 — Information Security Policy

External references:

• ISO 9001:2015 — cl.7.5 (Documented information), cl.7.1.6 (Organisational knowledge)

• ISO 45001:2018 — cl.7.5 (Documented information)

• ISO 14001:2026 — cl.7.5 (Documented information)