info@sustainitsolutions.com +44 (0) 117 325 4168
Health and safety hard hards in lockers
< <

Comparing the best safety management software

<
< <

Health & safety at the workplace – something that we work hard to achieve on a day-to-day basis. The problem is, as your business grows, so do your safety concerns, which can prove difficult as an organisation reaches substantially larger sizes.

We’ve come a long way from the factories of Victorian England, but there’s still a lot to consider when looking to improve your health & safety procedures. Many businesses implement safety management software (HSE) into their workflow in order to streamline their processes, but what is HSE, why do you need it and how on Earth do you choose the right one for you?

At Sustainit, we understand that the right software can be transformational, saving you time, improving your data accuracy and helping improve efficiencies. In this article, we’ll cover what you should look for in HSE, and some of the pitfalls that companies often fall into when choosing their software.

Read Time
3 mins
Author
Oliver Boulton

What is safety management software?

HSE is designed to facilitate the monitoring, measuring, auditing and reviewing of everything to do with health and safety, consolidating all of your records into one convenient place. Businesses use HSE to:

  • Manage incidents – by reporting and tracking issues, you can remain compliant to regulations. Software will ensure that you always remember to record everything.
  • Complete audits – cut the time needed for inspections & implement built-in checklists to expedite the process.
  • Automate key tasks – plan work in advance and use automation to get it done and ensure compliance.
  • Observe conditions – track hazardous conditions/behaviour at work, creating educational material to help avoid the same situations arising in the future.
  • Perform risk assessments – collect data and create bespoke charts to help visualise your company’s H&S performance.
  • Improve employee training – intuitive software helps to improve employee training programmes.
  • Track meetings – keep minutes of safety meetings & collect information on participants.
  • Ensure best practises – all of the above culminate into a one-stop software, keeping everything together and making sure everyone’s on the same page.

Generally speaking, HSE is designed to cut down on the time it takes you to manage your H&S in the workplace, while letting you create useful data sets to assess and share with the rest of the team.

How to choose the perfect health and safety management software for your business

While all of the benefits sound superb, there’s not a one-size-fits-all software that suits every business. There’s a lot to consider before you jump in, and different HSE will offer various features that might prove ideal for your unique situation.

Assess your use case

There are a few questions that need answering before you start your search for HSE :

  • How many users will I need? A larger team might need a more expansive software.
  • Who will be using it? Usability of the software is important. Some HSE are very user-friendly and intuitive, while others are more data-driven for advanced users.
  • What features are required? Depending on your sector, you may need specialist functions.
  • What’s my budget? This is an important one; as with most software, expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better, but you’ll need to account for cost when shopping around.

Answering these questions are a good first step, but with so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to go from here.

Heading

Pitfalls to avoid when implementing HSE

We’ve heard many horror stories from businesses who’ve invested in software, and it’s just not worked for them for one reason or another. Most of the time, however, this is as a result of poor implementation, or difficulty onboarding staff.

Incorporating your software

Many systems are set in stone, and often aren’t malleable enough to factor in new software. This leads to that new HSE you’ve paid for never fully integrating into your existing processes. When considering software, make sure that it is compatible with anything that you’re already using.

Training staff

If staff don’t understand your HSE, they’re simply not going to use it. EHS specialists can help to train your team and fully onboard everyone, ensuring that they’re up to speed and ready to use your software to its full potential.

Maintaining consistency

It’s very easy to start strong, only for effort to fizzle out after some time. HSE won’t function if it’s not consistently updated with new information. It’s up to your team to use your software in order to keep it useful.