There is a strong demand for an effective and updated EHS software because of the importance of safety working practices. From a business point of view, facing huge and harsh penalties due to health and safety offenses translates to loss of revenue, especially as sanctioned fines have increased by up to 74%.
In addition to that, statistics from Safety Media shows that around 1.3 million workers suffer from work-related sicknesses in 2018 alone. 72,702 of those reported were cases where employers fell into non-fatal injuries wheras 114 workers suffered from fatal ones. Furthermore, as employees get older, the more fatal the accident is likely to be. In the future, the population of workers aged 55 and above is expected to increase to at least 40,000. That’s a lot of potential accidents that can be prevented.
Having an Environment Health and Safety (EHS) software is extremely important as it can help prevent such incidences. This type of system is not only ideal for large businesses, but also small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from it too. Businesses of all types can now access the software thanks to cloud technology.
WHAT IS AN EHS SOFTWARE
Businesses should always put compliance and security among their top priorities. However, we all know these are not quite easy to handle. Thus, businesses employ technology to carry out these processes efficiently. This is where an Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) software comes in.
An EHS software is a type of data management solution built to help businesses comply with regulatory requirements and, at the same time, prevent accidents and unfortunate incidents from happening in the workplace. This type of system is equipped with features such as compliance task management, internal audit tools, incident reporting, and so much more. There is a high demand for the implementation of such system because a lot of focused is placed on preventing work-related illnesses and injuries.
If you’re still wary of getting one for your business, check out the list below to see the full scale of its benefits. This just might change your mind and convince you to invest in an EHS software.
- Reduces Carbon Footprint
Companies nowadays are becoming more and more aware of their impact on the environment, especially as consumers are demanding companies to adapt to sustainability. There are a lot of benefits to becoming a sustainable company such as reduced carbon footprint and lower energy-related costs. In addition to that, you can also market your company off as “environment-friendly”.
Having an EHS system in place can help you comply with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For example, the software can help you monitor your air and water emissions. Accurate data records can also aid you in monitoring your waste management system.
- MOBILE REPORTING
Modern EHS systems are created to work on mobile phones. This allows workers to update for audits, inspections, incident reporting and the like anytime and anywhere using their mobile phones. There are systems that work offline too, since some locations may have trouble accessing Internet connectivity. Workers can update even without internet connection as the data will sync automatically the moment they are connected.
- PROTECTSWORKER’S SAFETY
We often hear stories of workers getting injured and involved in accidents in their workplace. It is a company’s responsibility to look after their worker’s safety. Ignoring this not only leads to violation of safety standards and huge fines, but in worker’s deaths.
An EHS software helps build a safe workplace for you and your workers. You will have more visibility and information you can use to prevent accidents when you report and record your equipment and safety hazards. This also guarantees compliance to regulatory organizations like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
- ALL-INCLUSIVE INSIGHTS
You’ll be able to gather insights faster and a lot easier when you have an EHS system in place. It cuts down the time-consuming process of gathering information one-by-one and moving them from one system to the next. Instead, it monitors your data efficiently by centralizing it. This way you get a bird’s eye view of the processes so you don’t miss out on any detail.
- COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
EHS systems helps in building a safe workplace for you and your workers. In case an incident happens, you want to make sure that you have protected your workplace because you can end up incurring hefty fines. It will show you which steps you took to minimize risks. Moreover, witness statements and photo evidences are of utmost importance. An EHS tool can help you with that.
- REDUCES INSTANCES OF NEGLIGENCE
As they old adage goes, “Prevention is better than cure,” so rather than focusing on the process involved in managing accidents, you must focus more on preventing accidents and minimizing risks even before they happen. Negligence can have many impacts. You’ll risk endangering not only your workers but you’ll also be faced with huge fines and legal matters. Having an EHS system in place will give you the right tools and information to conduct safety measures and make sure they are being carried out.
- LOWER INSURANCE COSTS
Insurance companies put into consideration your workplace. When they see that it is not safe, or if they observe employees are almost always getting into accidents or dangerous situations, they will raise your insurance costs. In addition, they measure worker’s compensation, civil liability damages and litigation costs.
You can lower insurance costs when you employ all measures to guarantee the safety of your workplace. Why? Because insurance companies see they can pay lower claims when there’s zero to minimal risk for injuries and accidents. Some insurance providers may even offer discounts to companies with lower claims compared to its rivals.
The importance of workplace safety cannot be overstated enough. The sooner you start building a safer work environment for your workers, the better. If you have a good program ready and want to analyze and improve, consider looking into companies that provides EHS software solution.
