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Writing standard operating procedures people follow: structure, review and control

For supervisors, coordinators, quality staff and experienced operators who write or update procedures in operations, warehouses, labs or offices. You'll learn the parts of an SOP set out in the U.S. EPA's SOP guidance (EPA QA/G-6), write steps in clear, active language, get a draft tested and approved, and keep only the current version in use. Most of the practice is correcting a weak SOP. It goes well with the standard work course if you want more on writing individual steps.

Level
Intermediate
Length
About 60 minutes
Contents
5 lessons · final exam
Status
Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
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Skills you'll practise

  • Identify the sections an SOP needs, from title page to references, for a technical or administrative procedure
  • Rewrite unclear SOP steps in concise, active, step-by-step language with warnings at the steps they apply to
  • Choose who should write, test, review and approve an SOP before it's issued
  • Write a document-control header with ID, revision, date and page numbering
  • Identify when an SOP must be revised, reviewed or withdrawn from a master list

Course outline

  1. 1.What an SOP is for and what goes in itLesson · 16 min
  2. 2.Rewriting unclear SOP stepsLesson · 12 min
  3. 3.Who should write, test, review and approve an SOPLesson · 6 min
  4. 4.Writing a document-control headerLesson · 6 min
  5. 5.When to revise, review or withdraw an SOPLesson · 8 min
  6. 6.Writing standard operating procedures people follow: structure, review and control: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 12 questions
  7. 7.Writing standard operating procedures people follow: structure, review and control: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
  8. 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out

Sources it draws on

The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.

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