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SOFTWARE Understanding Safety Software Solutions There is a wide spectrum of options. What do you need to know to protect your team? BY GEN HANDLEY In 1935, British mathematician Alan Turing developed the theory for soft- ware. While only an idea, it led to the online platforms and applications we use daily, vital to our modern life and work. This includes occupational health and safety, a field benefiting from tactile mea- sures like PPE and fall prevention, as well as digital protocols like safety software. People and employees are an organiza- tion’s most valuable resource. In 2020, nearly 5,000 Americans died1 on the job, with transportation and construction roles making up half those deaths. Employee safety impacts everyone and therefore should be a top priority for ev- eryone within the organization. A Wide Range of Solutions Occupational health and safety software offers various features and benefits. De- spite software variations, the primary goal remains — to protect your people, prop- erty, and organization per local OSHA regulations. Let’s review the safety soft- ware types: Health and safety training software. A major component of an effective work safety program is regular training sessions for team members. Health and training software manages the education of im- portant safety procedures, including in- teractive modules and virtual simulations, tracking employee training progress, and integration with compliance and monitor- ing software. Compliance management software. Compliance management software en- sures your workplace is aligned with lo- cal health and safety legislation and legal requirements. This software helps track regulatory changes and improve staff col- laboration through new safety practices. Failing to comply endangers people and risks heavy OSHA fines — in 2022, OSHA2 fined a roofing contractor $1.3 million for repeated safety violations. Incident reporting and documenta- tion software. Incident reporting software streamlines the notification of incidents to the employer and employees through digi- tal reporting forms and templates. Leverag- ing other media such as images and video and audio recordings, incident reporting software will identify areas where improve- ments can be made so that certain acci- dents do not take place again. The analytics and reporting features allow the employer to identify potential safety risk and how to mitigate it. Employee safety apps. Unlike other software, employee safety apps don’t require additional hardware. Smartphone apps can address safety needs at work. Employee safety apps offer diverse safety features like GPS tracking, panic buttons, emer- gency alerts, incident reporting, and OHS resource access. Safety apps also enable reliable communication, including two- way messaging and safety check-ins3 — if missed, emergency contacts are notified. Reduced error. Much of the functions included in workplace safety software are automated, reducing and eliminating the likelihood of human error. When admin- istrative or managerial steps are taken manually, the chances of a mistake are higher. An automated system4 will help eliminate this problem, allowing employ- ees to focus on their work and allowing the organization to focus human resourc- es on other pressing priorities. Finding the best fit Whether it’s a focus on consistent compli- ance or on accessible safety reports, make sure your safety objectives are clearly out- lined before researching safety software solutions for your employees. The more specific the OHS objective, helping you look for what exactly your team needs to stay safe. The first step is to perform a hazard assessment5 so that all occupational haz- ards are documented, identifying safety needs that can be addressed with a soft- ware solution. The second step is to con- duct a thorough consultation with your employees — on all levels of the organi- zation — so that they can provide their valuable experiences and perspectives to how safety can be improved. The third and final step is to choose two or three software solutions and implement a trial run with some members of the team; most safety solutions offer free software testing for a certain time period so that you can determine if it’s addressing your safety challenges. In the end, find a safety software sys- tem, platform or app that everyone is comfortable using and more importantly, see the value in using while at work — es- pecially if it requires some additional steps to the work day. Having your safety pro- gram and its protocols organized under one software platform will make sure that you and your team are as prepared as pos- sible for what lies down the road. It’s worth it Whether it’s a focus on health and safety training, safety legislation and regula- tions compliance, incident reporting and documentation or overall employee safety, there is a safety software option for almost any need or challenge you might be facing. No matter what you choose, find and implement an employee protection soft- ware that everyone is on board with and clearly understands how it will help pro- tect them while at work. Prioritizing em- ployee safety and providing a tool that will protect them, demonstrates that the em- ployer cares about their people and that is always appreciated. Gen Handley is a Marketing and Growth Coordinator for SafetyLine Lone Worker, an automated, cloud-based lone worker monitoring service that helps protect remote or isolated workers. Gen has more than 10 years of writing and marketing experience. REFERENCES 1. azqs.short.gy/Z0meHZ 2. azqs.short.gy/Qn1PnH 3. azqs.short.gy/bcqkRB 4. azqs.short.gy/154F0h 36 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2023 www.ohsonline.com