Companies today are more socially aware than ever. Regardless of the industry, employees’ treatment and rights are of increasing importance to regulators worldwide. Leaders within organizations also recognize the importance of employee welfare and look for ways to comply with OSHA’s laws and regulations since there are significantly stricter penalties for health and safety violations. While there’s no doubt that excellent health and safety measures are morally right, they’ve never made more business sense, either.
The number of work-related fatal injuries is decreasing in parts of the world where companies take advantage of tech advances like EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) software. This provides a digitized platform that connects every safety management objective to a unified system. Every sector takes advantage of the software’s capability to use the company intelligence reporting features to collect, store, and archive data and automatically generate reports, from pharma to construction to utilities. Once a similar app is used, there’s no turning back to the clunky Excel spreadsheets.
Not every senior leader sees the need for EHS software programs to manage the work environment, health, and safety. But there’s more to this than meets the eye, so let’s understand the essentials of this system and determine whether it’s a necessary investment for your business.
Legal compliance
Annoying spreadsheets, or, even worse, hand-written reports that risk being damaged are a thing of the past. Aside from spreadsheets, traditional EHS systems may lack the capability and flexibility required in the modern workplace. Today, businesses are concerned with reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and increasing productivity. According to a study, an average of 21 hours and 36 min is spent on administrative stuff in a week. The number can be lower, assuming everyone from the CEO to employees uses the right Ehs tools.
Modern EHS software can help you ensure your company meets current legal requirements. If a party makes a claim, you’ll find every piece of information related to the claim in one centralized place, and you’ll have access to many documents, like photo evidence and witness statements. Consequently, the app will help you figure out ways and steps to minimize the risks in operations.
Suppose you, too, feel like legal situations are sometimes an administrative nightmare and want to eliminate outdated spreadsheets full of errors. In that case, Ehs software might fix this issue by streamlining your operations. The cloud-based nature allows you to store and send recent and accurate documents to authorities. If something that’s not accurate falls into the hands of regulators, it might result in a fine.
Business benefits
With harsh fines in place for health and safety offenses, the financial benefits of proper EHS practices are more crucial than ever. Fewer accidents can mean the following:
- Improved company reputation
- Fewer pay-outs for legal costs
- Less time off related to injury
- A happier and more productive staff.
Time efficiency is another plus, as information is centrally stored and collated, allowing for considerably faster and smoother procedures. Plus, customers appreciate seeing a company that’s careful with its employees because it shows empathy – an essential quality for a business. Investors also trust this type of company more. How a company treats the individuals that work to raise it translates into customers’ and investors’ experiences, too.
Increased employee management
New EHS software models expand reporting capabilities beyond the capacity of EHS managers or staff. Employees don’t come to their superiors with what might look like a “complaint” whenever they observe issues or dangers. But since the app allows them to notify others of incidents and health and safety problems easily, they become more confident in reporting and speaking their minds. Therefore, they feel motivated to participate in safer behaviors and encourage their colleagues to do the same. When everyone in the organization feels empowered to make a change for the better, it’s harder for them to brush off due diligence as the “responsibility of a higher authority”.
Plus, those who make a top priority out of their safety can be heard without having to deviate from their daily tasks and outside of organized meetings. Employees can speak out about what they’re doing or seeing and be applauded for their excellent job. Encouragement and reinforcement of proper safety behaviors are fantastic ways to ensure a company’s health and safety record is improving, and Capptions simplifies this task.
Improved digital data organization
The ability to effortlessly organize all the information in one user-friendly digital place is among the top benefits of EHS management software. It also creates a standardized location where employees can collect and add new data. A structured approach for these tasks can save a lot of time as employees know exactly where to go and how to execute them. Plus, companies ensure that every file is in the correct format and has previous records for reference in case something goes wrong or an error occurs. Complying with relevant regulations is simple, just as proving it to authorities is.
Safer workplace
An EHS solution significantly improves the safety of every employee. Real-time safety data allows managers and C-level executives to make data-driven decisions, leading to fewer accidents, fewer days missed by injured employees, fewer disruptions in production, and fewer worker’s compensation claims paid out. All these ultimately lead to increased productivity and profit. After all, information empowers people to make better decisions.
Investing in EHS software also emphasizes that you, as a business, place great value on employee welfare, health, and safety, sending a vital message to authorities, customers, and colleagues.
Wrapping up
It’s time companies replaced cumbersome spreadsheets with real-time performance data. Employee health and safety is no joke, and it shouldn’t be a time-consuming, burdensome administrative task either. EHS solutions create a superior alternative and empower decision-makers with accurate safety data, ultimately saving a lot of time and improving a company’s reputation.
It’s incredible how a safe workplace reduces stress for both employees and superiors. Automation and tech advances transform every industry, but data collection and employee safety are aspects that can greatly benefit from them.
