Keeping the workplace you manage safe and healthy for your employees is understandably a high priority for most business owners. Given the additional risks posed by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, workplace health and safety has never been so prevalent in our daily conversations. Because of the increased need for employee safety, many managers and business owners are turning towards EHS software to help them manage their valued teams’ health and safety.
The following will explore what EHS software is and some of the qualities you should keep your eyes open for when shopping among different providers to ensure the software is the right fit for you and your team.
What Is EHS Software?
In the broadest sense, EHS software is a platform designed to guide and help businesses protect their employees’ health and safety from potential workplace hazards and risks. The software is also designed to help companies comply with health and safety laws as well as regulations regarding environmental standards. One of EHS software’s major benefits is the way it can simplify the absurdly complex legal jargon surrounding workplace safety and make it clear to everyone involved what these complicated phrases mean practically in the workplace.
Who Is EHS Software For?
There are many assumptions when it comes to workplace safety. People tend to think of construction work, tree removal, and electrical work as dangerous. No one thinks about hairdressing. The environments where workplace accidents and injuries occur most often might surprise you. Every industry has legal safety standards that need to be met. What this means is that EHS software is really for everyone. In particular, if you feel uncertain about what the laws or regulations mean for you and your workplace, it’s worth looking into EHS software.
Ease Of Implementation
When considering an EHS software, one of the main factors you want to look at is how easy the software is to implement into your workplace. Depending on your workplace and the norms there, this is going to look very different across different businesses. Ask your potential EHS software provider about their recommended implementation strategy and clear up any confusion before the process begins.
Compatibility should be one of the main factors you consider when adding such solutions to your system to ensure everything runs smoothly. Having environmental health and safety software that can be easily integrated with your current infrastructure and processes is key for avoiding headaches and disruption during the transition. Ask to see compatibility tests, customer reviews, or case studies that can give you a better sense of how well the software integrates with other applications.
Paperwork Management
When it comes to running a business, there seems to be an endless supply of paperwork that needs to be done. A sound EHS software system won’t leave you with even more paperwork to deal with. It will consolidate, organize, and store all the necessary paperwork regarding incidents, training, and audits. Ideally, you want a system that streamlines documentation and makes things easily accessible for everyone who needs to look at individual files.
Simplifying Incident Reporting
In many workplaces, staff are less likely to report minor incidents because they don’t feel like the time is worth the minor improvement that takes place. With good EHS software, incident reporting is a smooth process that doesn’t feel like it takes unnecessary time. Ask providers about the increases in reporting minor incidents with some of their other clients. Experts at Basic Safe emphasize that many companies will cite the reporting of smaller incidents as extremely valuable in identifying larger, more challenging to see safety problems. Maybe everyone has been pinching their finger on that same doorknob for years.
Secure Data Storage
In today’s world, data theft is a real problem. Most people aren’t aware of the threat that this can pose for individuals whose personal information has been stolen and for corporations and governments on large scales. In 2020 alone, over 37 billion personal records were reported compromised. These numbers don’t include the thefts that occurred without detection. Data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable commodity, and this means that if you’re collecting any information on your staff or their medical experiences, you need to make sure that the data is stored securely. A good EHS software provider will be able to outline the steps they take to make sure that any information stored in their software is safe from cyber and digital threats.
Make Inspections Smoother
A good EHS software will make sure that all the relevant data needed for safety inspections is condensed and stored in one easily accessible space. When considering a provider, ask about their database and how it can help auditors and inspectors do their jobs more efficiently.
The above qualities are just a few things you want to look for when choosing an EHS software provider. Of course, depending on your industry, you will have additional needs not mentioned on this list. Make sure to walk through all of your concerns or questions when interviewing potential EHS software providers.