There isn’t an answer, it appears, which cannot be found somewhere at the touch of a button, from bringing up a child to how to become a time traveller.

The onslaught of tech solutions can on the one hand appear intimidating, but taking time to sift through all the morass can help you strike gold and put you very much on the front foot as far as your Health and Safety management is concerned.

One of the biggest dangers lurking is inheriting or dashing in and buying a system that doesn’t suit your needs. There are plenty of off-the-shelf products which will undoubtedly do a job, and some might be perfect for you, but equally you risk over-complicating your system, and perhaps having paid for elements of the software that you don’t need or want. The question you must always ask before buying is “Does this system really do the job I need it to do?”

It might look great, it might sound great, but if it doesn’t fit with your business need it is not really fit for purpose and let’s face it, every business is different and has its different shapes, sizes and needs.

Talking to a supplier and allowing them to get to know you and your business is crucial if they are to provide you with exactly what you need. Building a relationship will benefit both parties.

And then there is security. In the modern era where headlines about hacking are commonplace, you should take time to investigate where your data is housed and how secure it is, checking what security standards your host has. If you are not happy with those hosting arrangements and the security of your data, proceed with the utmost caution.

That should not, however, put you off taking the plunge. You may already use a digital health and safety management system, or you might be one of those many companies that embrace technology in lots of areas of their business, but still use a paper-based system, which when considering any businesses’ strength is its people, is an anomaly. If treating the safety and health of your workforce is a key priority then it demands as robust and helpful a health and safety management as possible.

H&S solutions have so much to offer, the starting point being they are a great asset to helping you meet your legal obligations. Software today allows companies to automatically record, audit, track and report all manners of activity, from risk at the outset to the right activity and ‘learning’ when something goes wrong. Modern systems are accessible online, allowing anyone in your business to input and update from wherever they are; working from home, out on the road, or sitting on a mountain (if they can get wifi up there!).

They simplify processes and streamline activity, setting an excellent example to your staff and providing a strong foundation for best practice.

This, along with so many other features available, means lower operational and staffing costs, and improved efficiencies, helping you towards operating a business with lower accidents and incidents, a positive internal and external reputation and increased confidence among your clients and stakeholders. And it saves lives!

Bob Betts, operations director, Warwick International Computing Systems

www.warwickicsystems.com/

Based on the company’s history in the occupational health market, Warwick’s new service, eSAFETY, has a range of measures designed to proactively manage, track and trend an organisation’s health and safety procedures and reporting.

Features include a tailored system configurable to each client, hosted by Warwick’s or the client’s server, which allows the user to proactively record and analyse trends, produce and track activities, audits and inspections, and identify and manage risk. The system ensures every accident and incident is recorded and investigated, with tracking and corrective facilities and statistical management reports. Consistent data is gathered and recorded, and overdue actions are identified,   helping to drive actions to completion.

According to Warwick, using a web-based system that does everything you need and nothing that you don’t will save you money and ensure that your health and safety reporting and monitoring is fit for the modern world.

Stand L16 

www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk

Based on the company’s extensive history and success in the occupational health market, Warwick’s new service, eSAFETY, adds innovation to its trademark hosted systems with a range of measures designed to pro-actively manage, track and trend an organisation’s health and safety procedures and reporting.

Benefits of eSAFETY include a specifically-tailored system configurable to each client, hosted by Warwick’s or the client’s servers, which allows the user to pro-actively record and analyse trends, produce and track activities, audits and inspections, identify and manage risk; ensure every accident and incident is recorded and investigated, with tracking and corrective facilities and statistical management reports; gather and record consistent data that can be evidenced; identify overdue actions by responsible person or department, and help drive actions to completion; and access remotely from anywhere to retrieve all recorded information quickly and easily.

The new service will be launched at the Safety & Health Expo 2016, where full demos will be available.

Stand P2170

www.safety-health-expo.co.uk

 

In today’s digital world where everything is done on the go via mobile phones, tablets and apps, businesses are increasingly embracing and harnessing evolving technologies to improve their systems and monitoring.

While that can lead to a more responsive and living framework, it also demands cultural change. For businesses which have always operated in a paper-based world, this can be a daunting process, but it doesn’t need to be.

The solution, and the balance to be struck, is to find a system that fits the bill and meets all your requirements while still hitting budget.

Many systems have bells and whistles and levels of depth that are unnecessary for mid-sized companies, are off-putting and which drive up cost. They are easily sold in as part of packages which leave you ending up paying for services you don’t really need.

So what should businesses look out for as they seek to upgrade or improve their Health and Safety reporting?

Having a fluid, responsive and mobile system, where reports and photographs from the field can be uploaded and flagged instantly, is becoming a vital factor in a lot of HR Departments’ thinking.

Using their mobiles and tablets, staff working out of the office now have the capability and power to carry out everything from full risk assessments and audits to reporting accidents and incidents, wherever they are on the planet.

The key then is to have an intuitive web-based system in place that registers information automatically and issues alerts to the relevant management, who can then decide on the next best course of action.

Uppermost in the thinking of most HR Executives is cost, but upgrading or moving away from a paper based system can prove highly cost effective in terms of man hours and infrastructure.

The key is to find a bespoke system that suits you and only you. No-one likes unpacking a new computer to find it stuffed with programs and adware that you then have to spend hours uninstalling, and Health and Safety software is no different.

Using a web-based system that does everything you need and nothing that you don’t will save you money and ensure that your Health and Safety reporting and monitoring is fit for the modern world.

And with the removal of paperwork, it doesn’t need to cost the Earth.

 

*Mike Barton is the founder and Managing Director of Warwick International, the UK’s leading supplier of Occupational Health and Health and Safety software.

www.warwickicsystems.com/