Control Measure vs Corrective Action: What Is the Difference?

Quick answer: A control measure is a proactive step put in place before harm occurs to eliminate or reduce a risk, following the hierarchy of controls. A corrective action is a reactive step taken after an incident, near-miss, audit, or inspection finding to fix a problem and stop it from happening again. Both are essential to a complete WHS system — but they serve very different purposes.

Last reviewed: June 2026 by the BlueSafe Technical Team. Reflects current Model WHS Act and Regulations.

Why This Difference Matters

In workplace health and safety, the words control measure and corrective action are often used interchangeably on Australian worksites. They are not the same thing.

Mixing up these two terms can leave genuine hazards unmanaged, or cause corrective actions to be closed out before the underlying risk has actually been addressed. Understanding the distinction helps you:

• Build a WHS system that prevents harm, not just responds to it.
• Demonstrate genuine due diligence to regulators, clients, and insurers.
• Know when to update your risk register, and when to log a corrective action.

This guide explains both concepts in plain language and shows how they work together.

What is a Control Measure?

A control measure is any action, barrier, or safeguard put in place to eliminate or reduce a risk before harm occurs.

Under the WHS Act, PCBUs (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking) have a duty to manage risks to health and safety. Control measures are the practical way this duty is fulfilled.

Control measures are selected using the hierarchy of controls — a ranking from most to least effective:

1. Elimination — remove the hazard entirely (most effective).
2. Substitution — replace the hazard with something less dangerous.
3. Isolation — separate people from the hazard.
4. Engineering controls — physical changes to plant, equipment, or environment.
5. Administrative controls — safe work procedures, permits, training, supervision.
6. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) — last resort; protects the person, not the workplace.

Examples of control measures

• Installing a physical barrier around a floor penetration (engineering control).
• Scheduling noisy work during hours when fewer workers are on site (administrative control).
• Requiring workers to wear hard hats in a designated zone (PPE).
• Replacing a toxic solvent with a water-based alternative (substitution).

Control measures are recorded in documents such as a SWMS, a risk register, or safe work procedures. They are put in place before work begins — or as soon as a new hazard is identified — and are reviewed regularly.

What is a Corrective Action?

A corrective action is a step taken after a problem has been identified to fix the root cause and prevent it from happening again.

Corrective actions are triggered by:

• Incidents and injuries — something went wrong.
• Near-misses — something almost went wrong.
• Audit or inspection findings — a gap was found in your WHS system or site conditions.
• Hazard reports — a worker has identified something that needs attention.
• Regulatory notices — an improvement or prohibition notice from a WHS regulator.

A corrective action might be as simple as repairing a damaged piece of equipment, or as involved as rewriting a procedure, retraining a team, or commissioning an engineering change.

Examples of corrective actions

• Replacing a frayed power cord after it was reported in a pre-start inspection.
• Updating a risk assessment after a near-miss revealed a hazard that had not been identified.
• Retaining a supervisor after workers reported inadequate instruction on a task.
• Installing additional signage following an audit finding.

Corrective actions are typically tracked in a corrective action register, which records what happened, what needs to be done, who is responsible, and when it must be completed.

How Control Measures and Corrective Actions Relate

While these are distinct concepts, they are closely connected. Understanding how they interact is key to running an effective WHS system.

Corrective actions often generate new or revised control measures

When an incident reveals that an existing control measure was inadequate or absent, the corrective action will typically involve updating the control — for example, adding an engineering safeguard to a machine that lacked adequate guarding. Once embedded in your standard procedures, that new safeguard becomes a control measure for all future work.

The review loop

The WHS Regulations require PCBUs to review and revise control measures when they have reason to believe the controls are not working. Common triggers for this review include:

• An incident or near-miss.
• A change to the work, equipment, or environment.
• An audit or inspection finding.
• A report from a health and safety representative.

This review process is the bridge between corrective actions and control measures. The corrective action identifies what went wrong; the revised control measure ensures it cannot happen the same way again.

A simple way to remember the difference

• Control measure = the fence at the top of the cliff.
• Corrective action = the ambulance after someone falls — plus the decision to build a better fence.

Both are necessary. A WHS system that only ever responds to incidents without fixing the underlying hazards will keep generating incidents.

Proactive vs Reactive: The WHS Mindset Shift

Australian WHS legislation is built on a proactive model of duty of care. The obligation is to identify hazards and manage risks before people are harmed — not simply to respond after something goes wrong.

This means:

• Control measures should be in place before work starts.
• Risk assessments should happen at the planning stage, not after an incident.
• Corrective actions should be completed promptly after they are identified, not deferred indefinitely.

Regulators look at both sides of this equation during inspections. They want to see evidence that risks were identified and controlled proactively (in your risk register, SWMS, and procedures), and that problems found through audits or incidents are being fixed systematically (in your corrective action register).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Treating a corrective action as "done" without updating the control measure. If you fix a problem on the day but do not update your risk assessment or procedures, the same hazard can recur with the next team or the next project.

Listing PPE as the only control measure. PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls for a reason — it should supplement other controls, not replace them. If an incident occurs and PPE was the only control in place, regulators will scrutinise whether higher-order controls were considered.

Closing corrective actions before root cause is confirmed. Fixing the immediate problem (for example, removing the trip hazard) without identifying why it occurred (poor housekeeping culture, inadequate storage space, no inspection schedule) means the underlying risk remains.

No ownership or due dates on corrective actions. A corrective action without a named responsible person and a due date is unlikely to be completed. Every item in your corrective action register should have both.

Related guides

• Hierarchy of Controls Explained
• What is a Corrective Action Register?
• SWMS vs JSA: Key Differences, Legal Requirements and When to Use Each
• What is a PCBU? Duties, Responsibilities and Legal Obligations

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a control measure and a corrective action?

A control measure is a proactive step put in place before harm occurs to eliminate or reduce a risk, guided by the hierarchy of controls. A corrective action is a reactive step taken after an incident, near-miss, audit finding, or inspection result to fix the root cause and prevent recurrence.

Can a corrective action become a control measure?

Yes. When a corrective action addresses a root cause and is embedded in your standard procedures, it effectively becomes a control measure for future work. For example, adding a mandatory pre-start checklist following a near-miss becomes a standard administrative control going forward.

Is a corrective action the same as a corrective action register?

No. A corrective action is the individual task or step taken to fix a problem. A corrective action register is the document that tracks all outstanding and completed corrective actions, assigns responsibility, sets due dates, and records sign-off.

Do control measures need to be reviewed after an incident?

Yes. Under the WHS Act, PCBUs must review and, where necessary, revise control measures when a control is no longer adequate — including after an incident or near-miss. This review process often generates corrective actions that lead to improved or new control measures.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about WHS concepts in Australia. It is not legal advice. WHS laws vary by jurisdiction and your obligations will depend on your specific circumstances, industry, and work activities. Always consult the relevant state or territory regulator or a qualified WHS professional for advice specific to your situation.

How BlueSafe Helps

Managing control measures and corrective actions across multiple jobs or worksites is difficult without the right systems. Many businesses rely on spreadsheets or paper forms that get lost, are never followed up, or are not visible to management.

BlueSafe provides digital WHS tools designed for Australian businesses, including:

• Risk assessment and hazard register tools that keep control measures current.
• Corrective action tracking so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Audit and inspection forms that automatically generate corrective actions.
• SWMS and safe work procedure templates aligned to Australian WHS legislation.

A system that connects your control measures to your incident management — so that when something goes wrong, fixing it feeds back into how you manage the risk next time.