EHS toolkit: The 5 trends in 2022

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Risk prevention cannot be improvised. It is essential to have a clear objective and a rigorous approach. Fortunately, some tools have been developed to simplify the daily tasks of occupational safety and health (OSH) experts in the field.

 

All OSH experts follow a logical approach to discover and analyse the risks associated with the activity and the workplace environment. To do so, There are several effective and well-known tools regardless of the sector of activity. They represent the essential toolkit of the EHS manager. Coupled with a digitisation approach, it is a real springboard for the company to gain in efficiency and optimise its QHSE management system.

 

The toolkit is based on 5 levers of prevention allowing an effective management of the QHSE processes.

 

Lever #1: Regulations and standards

 

Regulatory watch is the foundation of risk prevention, because it is the laws, regulations and standards that dictate the procedures to reduce the risks in a company. The legal monitoring can be a very time-consuming and tedious task. This process can be digitised and performed by specialised organisations that will provide you with targeted results according to your sector of activity. The collected information can be integrated and accessible directly on your digital platform, this will allow you to have real time alerts of new regulations.

 

Lever #2: Documentation system

 

Optimising the QHSE processes means, first and foremost, working on the recording and archiving of information. A dedicated digital tool will allow you to benefit from Electronic Document Management (EDM). The EDM can be accessed and shared with all the stakeholders. Moreover, It will always allow you to work on the latest updated version of the Document. Even if you are not familiar with IT, the platform is intuitive and lively to use thanks to interactive diagrams and flowcharts.

 

Lever #3: Risk assessment and corrective actions

 

The OSH coordinator must have a good knowledge of the company and the work environment (e.g. activities, workstations, storage, environment, etc.). This knowledge is essential for risk assessment. The following tools are then used: 

 

The risk assessment documents are the basic tool for centralising, assessing and ranking risks. A dedicated tool allows it to be linked to the action plan, thus centralising all the actions to be taken in the company. Performance and quality are improved thanks to the automatic notification of actions to managers and their monitoring.

 

Customised audit checklists can be used on tablets and smartphones to supply the audit report with evidence directly from the field. These checklists can be customised and adapted depending on the purpose and needs of their usage.

 

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Lever #4: Work monitoring/supervision

 

In the case of simultaneous operations on site, it is essential to ensure that all the necessary measures and procedures are predetermined and applied properly.

 

The tools used include:  

 

- The work permit which may include the prevention plan and safety protocols for example, are necessary. They are essential to supervise operations, establish prevention measures, determine and provide the necessary PPE and provide live feeds of the evolution of the worksite and the inherent risks to all parties concerned. Digitising these processes makes it easier to keep them updated and automatic notifications will allow fast reactions and applications on a daily basis.

 

- The lockout/tagout procedures act as guidelines to prevent operators from missing any key step and to justify their handling before authorising any interventions. Digital technology acts here as a communication facilitator, providing the possibility of electronically signing the certification and its authentication.

 

Lever 5: Coaching/Staff management

 

The EHS manager has to collaborate with the HR department on staff management issues. The aim is to recruit the best profiles, while putting in place training programmes adapted to the existing work organisation.

 

The following tools are required: 

A dashboard to manage training and accreditation: every employee must be trained specifically for their job and must be up to date in renewing their training/accreditation. In addition, they must be informed of the risks involved and the procedures to be followed in the field. All these elements are made available to them and can be accessed at any time.

 

Accident and occupational disease reporting: even if the objective is to achieve zero accident, it is important to be prepared for any contingency involving work accidents or occupational diseases! Reporting tools are there to help anticipate the evolution of contribution rates and even to check for possible errors. 

 

 

Digital technology has become the most important part of any OSH expert and the ally of any proactive company in the continuous improvement of its processes and risk management. It facilitates administrative tasks, centralises, secures and grants users easy access to information, anywhere and anytime. This is a huge step in the daily tasks of the EHS manager who finally has all the necessary tools to monitor the action plan and to ensure directory board’s commitment. 

 

To go further

> Discover BlueKanGo applications: EDM, Occupational accidents and diseases, Work permit

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