Safety reports a click away

Although an important part of the job, administrative duties can be a time-consuming exercise for safety officers. With the correct software, record-keeping can be as simple as pressing a button

There are several administrative duties associated with occupational health and safety (OHS) – such as compiling incident and compliance reports – which require comprehensive documentation and strict record-keeping. This can be a challenging and time-consuming exercise without the correct OHS management software designed specifically for OHS duties.

One company at the forefront of OHS management software is African Human Logistics, which offers a wide variety of services. Speaking to the challenges facing OHS officers, Sheldon Barnett, the company’s business development manager, says: “Over the years we have seen a general improvement in the way companies are attempting to manage their OHS function.

“However, they are still faced with serious challenges, which begs the question: Are companies allocating sufficient resources to their OHS initiatives? Very often we find OHS officers are overwhelmed and overworked, due to limited numbers of personnel employed in these roles,” he notes.

“We also often find that OHS officers are not given the tools or systems required to conduct their work efficiently,” Barnett adds. “This causes a host of issues, such as huge amounts of time spent on trying to gather information, problematic reporting, due to unavailable data or data housed in different silos, as well as the inability to keep track of actions, pick up trends and correctly allocate and manage event causes.”

A centralised system, such as the INX InControl system offered by African Human Logistics, can save businesses time and money by streamlining the OHS management and reporting procedures. Through a centralised system it is also easier for the various departments to collaborate – a key aspect of good OHS management.

However, for the system to be truly effective, it needs to be easy to access and use, while providing relevant, real-time information to team members. Barnett lists the benefits of a centralised OHS system:

• Centralises OHS records into a single data repository;

• Ensures on-demand access to most recent information including incident reports, audit findings and corrective actions;

• Reduces administrative burdens, which increases efficiency and access;

• Improves workflow with the tracking of events and automatically generated OHS reports;

• Easy-to-use analytical tools simplify the process of finding business event history and root causes in order to better identify and prevent incidents before they occur;

• Standardises methodologies and workflows when it comes to incident or event recording, management and reporting; and

• Assists with effectively managing ever-changing regulatory compliances.

In addition to all the above, the INX InControl system supports the ISO 45001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards, which makes it easier for companies to meet ISO accreditation requirements.

The system allows for risk assessments to be conducted directly on the software and for events to be tracked or escalated. It also allows for the management of insurance, workmen’s compensation and return-to-work plans.

“The INX InControl system comes pre-packaged with our InControl Mobile application, which allows clients to log incidents, inspections and audit findings, as well as to close out actions – even when offline or in the field,” Barnett says.

In addition to the centralised management software, African Human Logistics offers software to assist OHS professionals with their health and training-related tasks. The INX InHealth software enables easy scheduling of evaluations, tracking results and collecting and analysing employee health data.

The INX InTuition software assists OHS professionals to manage staff competency, role-based compliance and procedural audits. Barnett explains: “Ensuring that all staff and contractors are equipped to complete their jobs safely and efficiently is a formidable task for management, OHS officers and the OHS department.

“Identifying OHS and role-related training needs in the workplace is an important task that, if managed correctly, reduces workplace injuries. The INX InTuition software is designed to provide a logical flow of information that enables total control and up-to-date reporting.”

A simple email informs the individual of any shortfalls in compliance, competencies or procedures before they occur. There is also the potential to add an online learning management system, which allows a company to develop, deliver and monitor training and assessments.

“Once people have successfully completed the online training courses on the +LMS module, which is added onto INX InTuition, the competencies and compliances received are automatically updated against each person’s profile,” Barnett concludes.

With less time spent on the administrative duties, OHS professionals can invest their time and energy into building a safety culture, engaging with employees and designing unique safety campaigns to promote safe work in their industry.