Like many leading organizations, you and your safety team have worked hard to implement a Health and Safety Management System (SMS) for your high-risk business. Your system could include multiple moving parts such as your safety policies, compliance records, inspection reports, emergency response plans, and is likely incorporated into your business process. Yet, with all the efforts your company has put into maintaining the various areas of your SMS, you still may struggle with:
- Reoccurring incidents
- Threats of non-compliance penalties
- A lack of an internal responsibility system
- Disjointed account of your HSE data
- Poor communication from your field staff to the HSE department
- A lack of due diligence with your corrective actions following an incident
Emailing files, creating various spreadsheets, and installing ad hoc software solutions have quickly become outdated and inconsistent methods of running an effective safety department. Whatever your motivation may be for finding a better solution, you begin your search for an improved way to handle the convoluted components that make up your HSE and compliance department.
Understanding your deficiencies
Missing HSE records – Your HSE records can be extremely challenging to track, maintain and organize. Poor communication from the field to office can result in missing paperwork and an increased risk of errors due to manual processes. Without accuracy in such sensitive data, you can never truly capture your KPIs or understand your risk levels to proactively reduce the number of incidents which may occur.
Non-compliant workers – Following OHS/OSHA regulations is a requirement. Non-compliance means workers increase their risk of injury and incidents in the workplace and if not corrected, could leave your company with poor ratings, administrative penalties, and fines.
Current processes are disjointed and unorganized – Communication surrounding safety can influence whether people will understand and participate in their company’s safety efforts. Convoluted processes and manual forms don’t help in creating a culture of active participation and can foster an environment where your internal responsibility system begins to fail.
Incident & investigative reporting challenges – Incidents are typically the result of a defect in your SMS, resulting in unsafe acts or conditions in your workplace. Although the direct cause of each incident may vary, correctly documenting, reporting and communicating the occurrences can drastically impact future results. Unreported, lost, or incorrectly entered incident and investigation reports won’t help your company manage the corrective actions necessary to ensure incidents do not reoccur.
Incorrectly captured leading indicators and KPIs – Generic tools lack the ability to deliver comprehensive, real-time information in an easy-to-analyze format. Having the ability perform an analysis of your data can help your organization stay focused and work on proactive measures to mitigate risks.
Collectively thinking about the various moving parts of your SMS will help you uncover the various pain-points which your company may be experiencing. If you are thinking about moving to an HSE and compliance software, consider answering the following questions to truly uncover where your deficiencies are:
- How are you managing your current HSE process?
- Is communication clear from your field to head office?
- Are you compliant with OHS/OSHA regulations?
- Do you rely on manual spreadsheets to organize your data?
- Is your data accurate?
- Are all incidents being reported?
- How much time is spent compiling reports?
- Are administrative duties preventing your HSE team from spending time in the field?
- Are you prepared for workplace audit or inspection?
- Is your workforce compliant?
Evolving your HSE and Compliance Management Process
Protecting your workers is a major priority in your business. Although you have implemented the right framework, your overall efforts may have had little impact on your HSE statistics and it could be costing your company big dollars. According to OSHA, businesses spend $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illness. Over the past decade, we have seen an increased interest in integrated software solutions for better HSE management. To get the job done right, you will need to look for a configurable and easy to use interface with powerful reporting capabilities to streamline your efforts. By using an HSE and compliance software to support your existing SMS, a company can:
Seamlessly collect data – A critical step is knowing what to do once your HSE, quality control, and compliance data are collected. Acting quickly to ensure the necessary workflow is applied and the correct individuals and/or regulators are notified, can make all the difference when dealing with a workplace incident or inspection.
Improve reporting and track leading indicators – HSE and compliance software enables you to monitor all related information on one integrated platform. Data will be collected faster and with fewer errors than with manual entries. Being confident in your data will allow you to make quicker business decisions and uncover deficiencies that may have a negative impact on your company.
Ensure workers are compliant – Tracking your employees and subcontractors can be extremely challenging, especially when running a full workforce. It gives you peace of mind knowing that your workers are staying compliant on the job site with up-to-date certifications and training.
Conduct incident analytics – By tracking how workplace incidents occur and evaluating the trends, HSE and compliance software can help target areas where incidents are more likely to occur in order to reduce and eliminate them.
Manage corrective actions – Using an HSE compliance software will enable you to address corrective actions accurately, assign them to specific individuals, and know who is accountable for taking steps to eliminate the hazards before they reoccur.
Summary
Through a rigorous assessment of your current SMS, you will begin to uncover the various deficiencies within your process which may help you reconsider how you handle your most sensitive data. Perhaps it is time to look at automating your process and streamlining your approach to safety management. It could be the difference between empowering your company’s safety culture and scarcely complying with OHS/OSHA regulations. With these changes, you can maintain excellent levels of workplace compliance by having a well-functioning and evolving system in place to reduce your workers chances of injury and illness. Here at Aimsio, we believe that having the right tools to positively impact your HSE and compliance efforts is key in maintaining a safe and efficient workforce. Find out if we are the right choice for your business!
