QUESTION
What’s the difference between guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs)’
ANSWER
Generally speaking, guidelines are general and generic while SOPs are tailored to particular operations, equipment, conditions, etc.:
SOPs explain how to accomplish a repeatable work process or operation safely and compliantly that are written for the workers who perform the process to follow step by step similar to a recipe in a cookbook.
Guidelines are broad recommendations that set out general principles that are subject to interpretation and that apply to many situations and not limited to a specific process or operation the way SOPs are.
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