Can a computer based safety management system make a difference?

What we have observed

In the course of conducting safety audits and assisting clients develop compliance systems, we have studied closely the use of both paper and computer based systems. By far the commonest is still paper, albeit aided by limited use of databases, both home made and proprietary.

In the case of employers with overseas owners, the emphasis is often simply on basic accident reporting, with the information being siphoned off once a month to satisfy corporate governance requirements. It is quite common that head offices fail to run a comparative analysis, or if they do, they give little or no feedback to their far flung empire.

People using computer based systems rarely use them exclusively, opting instead to mix and match paper, electronic and office management systems, which often results in a lack of integration and a desperate wish to have it all together in one wonderful system.

Some companies go searching for such “all things to all people” systems. It is common to find health and safety coordinators growing old and cynical while IT gurus, accountants and consultants go searching or budgeting for all-in-one systems to do their “HRSQE”, or similar acronyms. Inevitably, this leads to compromise and/or budgetary blow outs, with an endless implementation phase and by the time some unwieldy system is developed, it’s out of date.

Disadvantages of paper systems:

  • People versus paper: People using paper systems often have wonderful manuals and templates with helpful flow charts and intricate wording. The wording and processes are there to guide every day managers to act like safety practitioners, which they simply will not. They will mostly act like front line managers who are up to their necks in alligators, and they will not read the key points of the Manual, let alone apply their minds to clever things like risk calculators. The ones who do take notice and “get it” will be rapidly promoted or get head hunted by multi nationals.
  • Transparency: The purpose of gathering plans, data and records together is ultimately to manage. Whether that is managing money, sales or safety, it requires actions to be taken by a number of people, it needs a common vision or purpose to be shared, and there must be follow through and monitoring of results. Just writing safety objectives, doing a Hazard Register and recording accidents within an obscure HR function doesn’t cut it. Even passing an audit with bits of paper is easy if you want to cheat. It happens.
  • Access and sharing: We have seen multi site employers with different paper systems in every site, or different versions of documents that should have been updated years ago. We see people toiling over fax machines and home made spreadsheets just to get reports done. We see managers “hiding” and playing games to avoid paper pushing and we see people losing files and documents. Every site or department is ignoring the others, or unable to share safety information. Reports come out retrospectively and no one knows the situation today across the organisation. Monitoring is Stone Age.

Advantages of paper systems:

  • Un-scary: Many people still don’t like computers. They understand paper and can write on it without fear and loathing. You don’t have to turn it on before you use it.
  • “Real”: Paper is somehow more “real”. You can sign it and date it with ink. You can flick through it, take it to meetings, wave it at people, fax it, draw on it, hang it on notice-boards, lose it or alter it when it suits you.
  • Comforting: You can put it in folders, reach for it show auditors, copy to others and generally build walls with paper. Or are we being cynical?

Disadvantages of computer based systems:

  • Scary: You can’t touch or feel a computer system and it’s hidden behind buttons, clicks and keystrokes. Sometimes, it does things you don’t expect, or does not do things you want. It can be unavailable or just plain dumb. Some people have never used a computer and never wish to.
  • Not “real”: You can’t always reach in and get something tangible out, to hold and point at.
  • Dumb databases: Some systems are designed by non safety people, who don’t know the real needs of safety management, so you get dumb data buckets, dead ends, forced actions, and tables that create information for the sake of it. You don’t get flexibility. You end up doing what the system wants you to, not what you want it to do.
  • Generic: You usually can’t customise it. What you see is what you get. If you have a different way of recording accidents or training, that’s it buddy.

Advantages of computer based systems:

  • Transparency: A good system allows all departments and sites to share current data and have real time reports and monitoring information to hand.
  • Retrieval: You don’t need to go searching for bits of paper in dusty cabinets. Archives are readily to hand. Some systems let you store relevant files, such as Word documents and photos that are relevant to a specific event.
  • Security: Password protection and editing levels should be standard equipment. Confidential files can be isolated. Administrator or senior manager privileges are built in.
  • Active: Systems normally send e-mails to remind you to do safety tasks. People can’t “hide” from the system or pretend they were unaware.
  • Auditable: A good system should record an audit trail of who, on what date and time data has been submitted or created, and the unique identity of each file (document). It should be defensible in a court of law.

OK, we are a bit biased, but realistically, these days, everything from the accounting system to production planning is computer based. Why? Because there are great packages available and fantastic advantages to be gained. Otherwise why do it? If safety matters, why would any employer be managing it with paper and quill pens if a great package exists?

So what are you waiting for? Try SafetyBase free and compare it with ANY other system available. Call 021903314 or visit www.safetypro.co.nz

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