A deviation is a breach of important company procedures, instructions, or routines. Any event that involves a violation of legal requirements is also considered a deviation. Examples of deviations include employees lacking protective equipment; workplace injuries; improper handling or storage of chemicals. 

In short, a deviation is anything that does not align with safe operations. Every company should have procedures in place to identify, correct, and prevent deviations.

Deviation management involves detecting, reporting, correcting, and preventing violations of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) regulations. Employers are responsible for ensuring compliance with legal requirements and implementing a system for recording and managing deviations. Employees are obligated to report deviations or safety issues in the workplace. 

Effective deviation management helps companies learn from mistakes. In the long run, this will help reduce risks, minimize future deviations, and lower potential costs.

A QHSE system consists of four key components: Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE). 

A well-structured and accessible QHSE systemprovides full oversight of the laws, roles, and routines applicable to your company. All QHSE systems are based on a common regulatory framework, but they must also be customized to the specific needs of the business. For example, companies operating in high-risk industries have stricter requirements for procedures and documentation. 

A quality management system ensures that your company meets customer expectations, requirements, and needs. It documents and standardizes processes, helping improve internal organization and compliance with external audits. 

Systematic Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) management is a legal requirement for all businesses. A QHSE system allows you to continuously document both how you plan to work and how you actually work, making it easier to demonstrate compliance to authorities, employees, owners, and customers. 

A QHSE system also enhances document control, audit tracking, version history, and approvals.

It also helps foster a culture of improvement and learning by systematically analyzing incidents and updating processes and procedures accordingly. 

A great QHSE system should make it easy for employees to follow company procedures and routines. This not only ensures compliance but also simplifies adjustments when changes to processes or routines are needed.

Unwanted incidents don't always occur at the office desk. As a result, the system should be easily accessible on other digital platforms such as tablets or mobile devices. This ensures that deviations are reported immediately, while details are still fresh, and allows employees or managers to attach photo evidence for documentation. 

A great QHSE system should also make information easy to find.

With Business Online, you get a complete document management system that keeps track of all governing documents, revisions, and responsible persons. This ensures you always find the latest and correct version of a document.

Published governing documents are categorized by department and document type. These documents are created using your company’s templates and go through a three-step approval process with full revision history—unlike standard document libraries, which only handle versioning.

Document numbering is structured based on department, document type, and sequential numbering. The system also includes an automated revision reminder, notifying document owners when it's time to review and update content. This provides greater control and oversight—and is something that will surely impress auditors.

A QHSE system increases employee awareness of risks, helping to protect the company’s finances, reputation, and employee well-being and safety. 

The system also shifts the focus from time-consuming administrative tasks like searching for documents and coordinating teams to quality improvement, learning, and compliance.