Going mobile with OHS metrics inspections
Industry Update Magazine – October 2020
https://www.industryupdate.com.au/article/going-mobile-ohs-metrics-inspections
Occupational Health and Safety is a subject that every organisation wants and needs to master, but without proper OHS metrics inspection, it can become near impossible.
Today many different organisations, operating in different industry sectors at different sizes, are choosing to move their inspection processes onto paperless systems.
OHS metrics inspection is the premier way to ensuring that data from inspections is being utilised to make better strategic decisions and keeping staff safe at the workplace.
According to the International Labour Organisation, around 2.78 million people die each year as the result of occupational accidents or work-related issues around the world.
It is no doubt a frightening statistic that some industries have to pay particular attention to due to their workplace operations, but any forward-thinking contemporary organisation will take OHS extremely seriously.
So how can OHS metrics inspection help managers keep their staff protected at the workplace?
With the help of regulations such as ISO/TS 24179, published by the International Organisation for Standards (ISO), inspections can help make workplaces safer.
Regulations such as ISO/TS 24179, Human Resource Management – Occupational Health and Safety Metrics, help companies to clearly manage their OHS metrics inspections.
By utilising the technical specification and assistance documents in the standard to guide their OHS decisions, leadership in any organisation can be assured that they are making rigorous choices.
The standard provides measures for both internal and external reporting of human resources management, as well as raising issues that should be considered when drawing up organisational safety operation plans.
These reporting struggles can sometimes be made clear when organisations are carrying out checks using pen and paper inspection methods.
Data and observations get lost in various stages such as note-taking, handwriting legibility, double data entry, or simply the voluminous filing cabinets of inspection reports.
To keep the process simple, many organisations in different sectors are therefore choosing to bring their OHS metrics inspections onto paperless solutions using mobile devices.
This means that data cannot be lost, important observations being categorised against the asset/process/area inspected and likewise sent to necessary teams in a business.
If a machinery piece is showing signs of wear, the maintenance crew can be notified that it needs repairs, while the offending parts can be identified for potential reorder.
Management also receives a notification indicating that the asset may be out of use, as well as inspection personnel or scheduled users of that machinery.
By keeping all necessary individuals and stakeholders informed of the issue, there is a dramatic reduction in risk, a decrease in questions and increase in safety and efficiency dealing with the problem.
Inspection personnel carrying out OHS metrics inspections also benefit largely from the mobile device features, that can integrate with compliance checklists, such as those set up to comply with ISO/TS 24179.
OHS metrics inspection relies on collecting actionable numbers and recording so that decisions can be taken in a strategic and informed manner.
By giving inspection personnel the tools for this, such as: speech-to-text recording, standardised response checklists, camera integration and annotations or reference material attachment, inspectors are suitably empowered to make good recording.
By allowing inspection personnel the best tools for the job, they will likely be able to make recordings that could otherwise have been missed, had OHS metrics inspection not been undertaken through paperless means.
No manager or inspector will ever say that they wish to miss hints and data that could lead to risk mitigation or better decisions being taken for workplace safety.
The answer is simple, to ensure thorough OHS metrics inspection, and to keep workers safe in the workplace, digital and paperless safety checklists are the way forward.
To learn more about ISO/TS 24179, visit: www.iso.org/standard/77993.html
