Overview
Review policies ensure that your published content—like policies, procedures, and risk assessments—stays current and accurate through scheduled reviews. Instead of manually remembering to review documents, review policies automatically remind the right people when reviews are due.
Why Use Review Policies?
Published content doesn't stay relevant forever. Regulations change, processes evolve, and equipment gets updated. Review policies help you:
Stay compliant: Many regulations require periodic review of safety documents and risk assessments
Keep content current: Catch outdated information before it causes problems
Prevent document drift: Regular reviews ensure procedures match actual practice
Create audit trails: Record when content was reviewed and by whom
Avoid manual tracking: Automatic reminders replace spreadsheets and calendar reminders
Without review policies, important documents can go years without review, becoming outdated and potentially dangerous.
How Review Policies Work
Review policies create a recurring cycle of review reminders. Here's the flow:
1. Create a Review Policy
You set up a review policy that defines:
How often reviews happen: Every 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc.
Who gets reminded: Individuals or groups responsible for reviewing
What it applies to: Assigned to specific documents or assessments
2. Assign the Policy to Content
When you create or edit content (like a document), you assign a review policy to it. This starts the review cycle.
3. Automatic Review Reminders
CalmCompliance automatically:
Calculates when the next review is due
Sends notifications when the due date arrives
Reminds assigned reviewers to check the content
4. Reviewers Complete Reviews
When notified:
Reviewers access the content
Check it's still accurate and current
Mark the review as complete (or make updates first)
5. Cycle Repeats
Once a review is complete:
The next review due date is automatically calculated
The cycle continues based on the policy's interval
Reviewers are reminded again when the next review is due
Review Policies vs. Approval Policies
It's important to understand the difference between reviews and approvals:
Review Policies (This Guide)
Purpose: Keep published content current through scheduled reviews
Timing: Recurring (e.g., every 6 months, annually)
When it happens: Automatic reminders based on schedule
Process: Review existing published content, check it's still accurate
Action: Verify content or make updates as needed
Example: A fire safety policy is reviewed every 12 months to ensure it's still current
Approval Policies
Purpose: Get sign-off before publishing new content or changes
Timing: One-time, triggered when submitting content
When it happens: Before publication, when you submit for approval
Process: Multi-stage review and approval of draft content
Action: Approve or reject before content goes live
Example: A new safety policy needs manager and safety officer approval before publication
Using Both Together
Most critical content benefits from both policies:
Before publication: Approval policy ensures proper review and sign-off
After publication: Review policy ensures ongoing currency through scheduled reviews
Example workflow:
You create a new COSHH assessment
Approval policy requires safety officer approval before it's published
Once published, review policy ensures it's reviewed every 12 months
When review is due, reviewer checks if it's still accurate
If changes needed, they edit and resubmit for approval
Key Concepts
Review Intervals
Review intervals define how often content should be reviewed. Common intervals:
3 months (quarterly): For fast-changing content or high-risk areas
6 months (semi-annually): For moderately changing content
12 months (annually): For stable content with yearly regulatory requirements
2 years (biannually): For very stable content with infrequent changes
Example: Health and safety policies might have a 12-month review interval to align with annual compliance checks, while COVID protocols might have 3-month reviews due to rapidly changing guidance.
Review Recipients
Recipients are the people who receive review reminders. You can assign:
Direct recipients: Specific individuals
Example: "Mark Wilson" (Health & Safety Officer)
Group recipients: Everyone in a team or group
Example: "Department Managers" group
Any member can complete the review
Tip: Use groups for flexibility—if someone is on holiday, another team member can handle the review.
Review Assignments
When you apply a review policy to content, it creates a review assignment. The assignment:
Links the policy to the specific content
Tracks the next review due date
Records when reviews were completed
Maintains the review schedule
Each piece of content can have one active review assignment at a time.
Scheduled vs. Ad-Hoc Reviews
Scheduled reviews:
Automatic reminders based on the policy interval
Recurring on a regular cycle
Managed by CalmCompliance
Ad-hoc reviews:
Manual one-time reviews outside the regular schedule
Triggered by events (incident, regulation change, etc.)
Can optionally reset the scheduled review cycle
Example: A risk assessment has scheduled annual reviews, but after an incident, you trigger an ad-hoc review immediately. You can choose whether this ad-hoc review resets the annual cycle or not.
When to Use Review Policies
Good Use Cases
Regulatory compliance:
Health and safety policies (often annual review required)
Risk assessments (HSE guidance recommends regular review)
COSHH assessments (review when substances or processes change)
Fire risk assessments (annual or after significant changes)
Critical procedures:
Emergency procedures (ensure they reflect current practice)
Safety procedures (catch changes in equipment or processes)
Compliance documentation (align with regulatory updates)
Dynamic content:
COVID-19 protocols (frequent updates needed)
Contractor procedures (align with changing contractors)
Temporary arrangements (ensure still relevant)
When Not to Use Review Policies
Static historical content:
Historical records that don't need updating
Archived documents for reference only
Completed incident reports
Frequently changing content:
Working drafts (use version control instead)
Collaborative documents (too dynamic for scheduled reviews)
Low-risk informational content:
General notices
Reference materials
Simple announcements
What Happens During a Review
For Content Owners
You've assigned a review policy to your document:
Review due date approaches: CalmCompliance tracks the schedule
Reminder sent: Recipients receive email and inbox notifications
Review completed: Reviewers check the content
Next review scheduled: System automatically calculates next due date
Cycle continues: Process repeats indefinitely
For Reviewers
When you're assigned as a review recipient:
Notification arrives: Email and inbox item when review is due
Access content: Click through to view the document or assessment
Review for accuracy: Check if content is still current and correct
Take action:
If accurate: Mark review as complete
If outdated: Make edits (may require resubmission for approval)
Done: Review is recorded, next review scheduled
For Administrators
Monitor review compliance across your site:
See all review assignments and due dates
Track which content is overdue for review
Ensure review policies are working effectively
Adjust policies as needs change
Review Policy Sharing
If your site has child sites, you can share review policies:
Shared policies:
Created at parent site level
Available to all child sites
Child sites can use but not edit them
Ensures consistent review intervals across the organization
Example: Head office creates a "Annual Policy Review" policy (12-month interval) and shares it with all regional sites. Every region uses the same review schedule for consistency.
Site-specific policies:
Created at individual site level
Only available to that site and its children (if shared)
Allows customization for specific needs
Review Compliance and Audit
Audit Trail
Review policies create a complete audit trail:
When reviews were due
When reviews were completed
Who completed them
Any comments or changes made
This is valuable for:
Regulatory compliance inspections
ISO audits
Internal quality reviews
Demonstrating due diligence
Tracking Overdue Reviews
CalmCompliance tracks:
Reviews that are due now
Reviews that are overdue
Upcoming reviews
Administrators can monitor compliance and follow up on overdue reviews.
Common Questions
Do review policies automatically update content?
No. Review policies send reminders, but humans must actually review the content. If changes are needed, reviewers edit the content themselves.
What happens if a review is overdue?
The content remains published, but it's marked as overdue for review. Notifications continue to remind reviewers until the review is completed.
Can I change a review policy's interval after creating it?
Yes. When you change the interval, CalmCompliance automatically recalculates the next review due dates for all content using that policy.
Can one document have multiple review policies?
No. Each document or assessment can have one active review policy at a time. If you need different intervals for different aspects, consider splitting the content.
Do I need Manager permissions to set up review policies?
Yes. Creating and editing review policies requires the Manager or Admin role for your site. However, anyone assigned as a reviewer can complete reviews.
What if the person responsible for reviews leaves the company?
If you use individual recipients, you'll need to update the review policy to assign a new person. If you use group recipients, simply update the group membership—the policy automatically uses current group members.
Can I pause reviews for a document?
Yes. Remove the review policy assignment from the document to stop scheduled reviews. You can always reassign it later to restart the cycle.
Next Steps
Ready to set up review policies?
Plan your review schedule: Decide what needs reviewing and how often
Create your first policy: See Creating Review Policies
Set up review intervals: Learn about Setting Up Review Schedules
Manage ongoing reviews: Check out Managing Review Cycles
For one-time approvals before publication, see Understanding Approval Workflows.