What must occur before implementing a change under Management of Change (MOC)?

• A. A hazard assessment, but formal approval is not required.
• B. A hazard assessment and formal approval to ensure hazards are identified and mitigated.
• C. Only engineering review is required.
• D. A routine safety briefing.

Answer: (B)

In MOC, before implementing a change, you must identify the hazards the change could introduce and obtain formal approval to proceed. The hazard assessment digs into safety, health, environmental, and process risks that the modification might create, including how equipment, controls, and procedures interact within the ammonia refrigeration system. Formal approval brings together the right people from operations, safety, engineering, and maintenance to review the risks and ensure appropriate safeguards, training, and updated procedures are in place before the change goes live. This combination protects against unanticipated interactions and ensures that controls, permits, and lockout/tagout plans are in place.

Relying on only a hazard assessment misses the authorization step and could leave the change ungoverned. Focusing solely on engineering review addresses design concerns but not the broader safety implications or organizational endorsement. A routine safety briefing is not sufficient for a permanent process change, as it lacks formal risk evaluation, documentation, and widespread procedural updates.