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When problems do occur, the organization must be prepared to correct them and prevent reoccurrence. The focus is on foot cause analysis, on the disease, not just on the symptoms. The idea is not just to identify the problem but to understand why it occurred and to change the system so that it does not occur again. The Clause 4.4.2 requirements include procedures for: Defining responsibility and authority for handling and investigating nonconformances. Acting to mitigate the resulting impacts on the environment. Initiating and completing Corrective and preventive action. Implementing and recording changes to documented procedures that result from corrective and preventive action.
The standard states that corrective or preventive actions "taken to eliminate the causes of actual and potential nonconformances shall be appropriate to the magnitude of problems and commensurate with the environmental impact encountered." Thus, the procedures can be simple or complex, broad or narrow in scope, depending upon the problem.
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