Contractor Management In The Railway Industry
/ By admin / Contractor Management • Contractor Management Software/ 0 Comments

Contractor Management In The Railway Industry

Why is effective contractor management vital in the railway industry?

Effective contractor management is essential to safety in the Railway Industry, because it is a high risk sector. Without proper contractor management which takes into account safety, risk awareness and ongoing training, businesses can put their people at risk.

Both employee and contractor are responsible for Work Health Safety (WHS) within the Railway Industry. Contractors have a duty as workers, and must take reasonable care of their own health and safety.

However, as an employer it is also vital that you take responsibility for aspects of WHS. Both parties must come together to assess risks, and ensure that due diligence is done to minimise the likelihood of those risks.

This is a key strength of a contractor management system – it can help businesses monitor contractors and ensure that legal and ethical obligations are met.

We’re unpacking how contractor management should be performed in the Railway Industry to improve safety and compliance.

man in red jacket and black pants walking on gray concrete stairs

The Railway Industry poses additional hazards

The first thing to note is that the Railway industry is unique. It poses unique hazards and risks that contractors must be made aware of. 

Some of the additional hazards that are present in the Railway Industry are:

  • Falling from heights
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals
  • Dangers of trips and slips
  • Hazard working with high voltage
  • Hazard working with fast moving trains
  • Biological hazards (COVID-19 related risk of working on a public railway network)black and brown chess piece on white tray

How can we minimise these risks?

As a business, it is important to collaborate with contractors to minimise hazards. A key way that businesses can keep on top of contractor safety is by using contractor management systems. These online software systems help you keep on top of permits to work, promote elearning modules and get sign off from the contractor on these topics.

A proper contractor management system requires each party to know and handle their responsibilities as required, and an online system helps businesses keep a digital record. In the Railway Industry this is particularly important, as the risks can be unique and may require special training. 

For the hazards above, it is likely that training and permits to work will need to be presented before a contractor can start working on the specific job. Businesses must ensure that contractors are fully qualified and must perform due diligence before allowing a contractor to work on a high-risk site.

Contractor management systems enable businesses to keep a handle on contractor movement and work in order to maintain compliance and keep people safe.

time lapse photography of train

Who is responsible for ensuring contractor safety?

Everyone. All parties must work together to make the workplace safe. However, the business will have certain responsibilities which need to be taken into account.

These are:

  • Have procedures governing the registration, induction, inspection and on site management of contractors
  • Have clear procedures on managing hazards, monitoring contractor work and maintaining contractor records.

Meanwhile, the contract supervisor should: 

  • Know the health and safety risks involved in the performance of the work
  • Possess proper training in contractor management
  • Ensure implementation of the required risk control measures to maintain safety
  • Monitor and manage the communication channel between the company and contractors.

And the contractors themselves need to:

  • Comply with business procedures
  • Know and meet their responsibilities on the job 
  • Tell the truth with regards to qualifications, permits and experience

Working in the Railway Industry is high risk

Unfortunately, in Australia in the 5-year period from 2009-2014, there were 812 cases of serious unintentional injury involving a train. This is way too high, and could potentially be mitigated with proper safety procedures. 

Safe Railways Australia has suggested that the high profile Railway worker fatalities in recent years has tightened the need for comprehensive safety systems. In a 2020 report, The National Rail Safety Regulator said that:

“The deaths of three rail safety workers in the past year…were felt across the Australian rail industry and indeed the broader community. They are tragic reminders of why the national regulator will continue to demand absolute vigilance from rail transport operators in the management of safety risks”.

In line with this report, we should not forget that the Railway Industry is high risk, and whether you are a contractor or an employer, it is vital to remain diligent.

This may mean you need to introduce regular safety audits, free contractor training and safety management systems that are more comprehensive. 

Why are safety management systems essential in the Rail Industry? 
/ By Laura Stupple / Risk assessment software • Risk Management • Risk Management Software • Safety Management • Safety Management Software • Work Health Safety/ 0 Comments

Why are safety management systems essential in the Rail Industry? 

Safety Management Systems are one of the most helpful tools in managing Work Health Safety. As an employer, you have a duty of care to employees and therefore have to manage safety measures appropriately. From monitoring and reducing incidents, to auditing safety procedures, it is important to make an ongoing commitment to safety management.

This is especially true in the Railway Industry, where employers and workers can often be at a higher risk. 

What are the added risks when working in the Railway Industry?

All industries need effective safety management measures, however in higher risk industries safety systems can be the difference between life and death. With higher risk consequences, and a higher likelihood to happen, the railway industry relies heavily on effective safety management systems.

Some of the additional hazards that are present in the Railway Industry are:

  • Falling from heights
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals
  • Dangers of trips and slips
  • Hazard working with high voltage
  • Hazard working with fast moving trains
  • Biological hazards (COVID-19 related risk of working on a public railway network)

RAIL SAFETY NATIONAL LAW – SECTION 99

In terms of the specific law regarding to safety management systems in the Railway Industry, the Rail Safety Law Section 99 states that:

“A rail transport operator must have a safety management system for railway operations”

Hence, safety management is a legal requirement when working in the Railway Industry and is an essential for any business working in Rail. The law also states that these safety management procedures need to be evidenced in writing, which is where a digital safety management system can be very helpful.

What does a safety management system need to include?

Firstly, the law states that the safety management system must have an identified person who prepares and monitors it. This means that a business has to allocate the responsibility to an employee. Plus, the business needs to allocate the responsibility of implementing the safety management system changes. In bigger companies, there will likely be a whole safety management team who will work on a comprehensive safety plan. 

The Rail Safety National Law states that the operator needs to include the following in their safety management system:

“(a) measures to manage identified risks to safety for the purposes of interface agreements;

(b) a security management plan;

(c) an emergency management plan;

(d) a health and fitness management program;

(e) a drug and alcohol management program;

(f) a fatigue risk management program”.

How can Railway Businesses implement effective safety management?

Working with skilled professionals who know how to create and implement safety systems is essential. Once you have these employees in place, it is important to empower them to create the best rail safety management plan possible.

Digital safety management software can be a great way to empower your safety team to provide an effective rail safety management plan.

A rail safety management system needs to include:

  • Identifying current hazards and looking at past incidents
  • Analysing current risk using a risk matrix: working out how likely the risk is to happen and what the consequences of that risk are
  • Creating procedures that ideally eliminate the risks, or at least reduce them
  • Monitoring the effectiveness of the procedures and controlling actions
  • Auditing the safety management procedures and changing them in line with environmental changes or changing risks

Minimising Risk In The Railway Industry

Beakon Software helps businesses minimise risk in the railway industry and meet compliance demands. Safety Management Systems enable businesses to stay on top of their safety procedures and retain a digital trace of their safety management efforts.

Beakon’s class-leading system enables employees and/or contractors to report incidents, hazards, and near misses. You are then able to classify and manage incidents across the whole business and apply cost-efficient strategies to manage and minimise workplace risk.

Check out the Safety Management Systems from Beakon.

How E-permits to work are improving productivity in the oil and gas industry
/ By Laura Stupple / Permit to work/ 0 Comments

How E-permits to work are improving productivity in the oil and gas industry

E-permits to work are streamlining how employers access and amend permits to work. With a quick, online software system in place, businesses can manage the safety of their workers with ease, and ensure that everyone is qualified for the job.

This is hugely important in many industries, but in oil and gas especially. E-permits to work are transforming how the oil and gas industry stays on top of permits to work, as it enables forms to be completed from anywhere.

Gaining control over safety in a high risk oil and gas environment is a must, and e-permits to work are helping businesses gain that control. Making permits to work available remotely, reminding businesses when they expire and allowing team members to view an individual’s file at any time in any location, means that no one is stepping into a role that they shouldn’t be.

We’re unpacking the way that e-permits to work are improving productivity in the oil and gas industry. Take a look…

red and white ship on sea under cloudy sky during daytime

Why an e-permit to work is so important in oil and gas

Well, oil and gas is traditionally a high risk sector. There are lots of hazards that mean people working in the industry need to be highly trained and well versed in safety procedures.

Because it is such a high risk industry, oil and gas comes under regulatory scrutiny. Not only in terms of safety, but in terms of environmental impact too. Crime in this area is also a pertinent risk, with violations, bribery, corruption and environmental crime rife. For this reason, a business needs to be 100% sure that everyone on site is qualified, trustworthy and has signed off on safety procedures.

Another key reason that oil and gas requires e-permits is that a lot of the work is completed remotely. This means that people need to be able to check records remotely, and a paper based system doesn’t really do the job. In a high pressure, high risk environment, people need access to records quickly and seamlessly to ensure that activities can be undertaken.

Working in the oil and gas industry requires extreme caution. E-permits to work help everyone understand the risks, confirm that they are qualified and have a better chance of taking on the job safely.

landscape photography of factory at daytime

How are e-permits to work improving productivity?

  • Allowing employees and contractors to work quickly and safely

Often, a challenge to productivity in oil and gas is not having the paperwork in order. In oil and gas, because there are so many hazards, there is a lot of safety paperwork that needs to be completed.

A permit is often necessary before a person can start working, as it provides an official document that establishes whether the person is eligible to do the job and ensures that they can do it safely. 

Without this, the work they are supposed to be doing is stifled. This can hold up the continuation of a project, and cause a lot of frustration amongst teams.

  • Minimising the risk of an incident

Alongside the obvious productivity issue of pausing work, not having a permit to work also means that there is an increased risk of an incident. When an incident occurs, major damage can ensue and productivity goes down the drain.

Not only do businesses often have to pause operations while an investigation gets underway, but employee trust is often diminished. This impacts productivity and makes everyone question the integrity and safety of the site.

In this sense, an e-permit to work system is a great way to improve productivity and lower risks. An e-permit will run through the risks and regulations on site in full transparency, so that a worker is able to sign off on their knowledge before starting work.

  • An e-permit to work allows access records anytime, anywhere

Another huge challenge to productivity is workers not having access to the records to ensure that someone is able to work. It is not acceptable to leave permits to work to chance and hope that they are qualified for the job. 

However, in the event that physical paperwork is missing and someone needs to start a job, often team leaders can just trust that the person is qualified without seeing the paperwork with their own eyes. 

This is a massive mistake and one that cannot happen. With an e-permit to work, oil and gas workers can check anyone’s record remotely, leaving nothing to chance.

  • Minimising the risk of error or loss

With an e-permit to work system, the risk of the paperwork being lost is minimal. Everything is collated into one, cloud-based system that is secure. Unlike paperwork, when using an e-permit to work, permits won’t just go missing or get lost.

This minimises the risk of error and leaves a paper trail that will last long after work is completed. With complete, up to date and long lasting records that don’t need to be stored anywhere physically, businesses can rest assured that they have full control of safety on their site.

Do you want full control of safety on your site? An e-permit to work software system could be the solution. See how it works with a free trial.

5 ways elearning software is boosting the healthcare sector
/ By Laura Stupple / Learning Management Software • Task Management Software • Work Health Safety/ 0 Comments

5 ways elearning software is boosting the healthcare sector

Ready to learn more about elearning software? 

From onboarding, to healthcare specific training, to ongoing education, elearning software can cover it all. Technology is making things simple for employers, employees and contractors in the healthcare space.

We’re sharing our insight into how elearning software is reshaping and boosting the healthcare sector. Take a look…

  • Elearning software reminds employees when training is out of date

Unlike other industries, healthcare has unique risks and pressures that often require specific training. Elearning software helps to keep on top of each individual’s training requirements, and ensures that no one is left out when it comes to refreshing their knowledge.

In healthcare more so than other sectors, things change very quickly and the training requirements can be more intense in order to keep up with these changes. Having an online elearning software system enables employees to continuously learn, and be reminded when they need a refresher.

person wearing lavatory gown with green stethoscope on neck using phone while standing

  • Helping employers with due diligence requirements 

As an employer in healthcare, it is important that you do your due diligence and only employ people for roles that they are trained to do. A business has a shared responsibility to ensure that safe to work documents and qualifications are up to date and relevant for the role. 

With a digital trace, employers can provide a record of who has completed training and how that is relevant to their role. This is hugely important in the event of an incident where a medical professionals’ qualifications are called into question. With a digital trace of the employee’s training history, an employer can show that they have done their bit, and cover themselves in the event of something going wrong.

doctor holding red stethoscope

  • Elearning software provides online safety inductions

A safety induction is crucial to helping your employees and contractors understand the WHS procedures. In healthcare, this is even more important, as often the safety procedures relate to human safety. There can be no mistakes, and an online safety induction to accompany a face to face one helps to solidify the safety information.

A key benefit of an elearning software system in healthcare is that the safety induction can be signed off online. With a digital trace of the worker confirming they understand the safety procedures, businesses can be much more confident that they have completed a full induction.

  • Delivering ongoing online learning 

No workplace training is ever truly complete, as things change all the time. This is especially true in a health care environment where things evolve quickly. An elearning software system helps healthcare businesses deliver ongoing training that might be essential to that employee’s role.

With flexible learning options that can be accessed on the go, workers needn’t miss time off of work to complete online training. Team members can access learning via their tablet or mobile, and take it at their own pace as they continuously learn.

woman in white shirt standing in front of computer

  • Elearning software is creating a learning culture in healthcare

It’s not just the practical benefits of assisting with onboarding and ongoing training that make elearning software so valuable. It is also the way it shifts the company’s attitude to learning.

With an online system that is state of the art, accessible anywhere and easy to use in a variety of languages, healthcare businesses can create a learning culture. A learning culture is one where learning and ongoing training is celebrated and people feel empowered and encouraged to keep learning.

This should be a goal of every forward thinking organisation, and software can help you get there.

Ready to discover a whole new world of online learning?

Take a look at our Learning Management System which delivers training to staff and contractors anywhere, regardless of whether you’re delivering your training face-to-face or using distance learning.

How construction software is reshaping the industry 
/ By Laura Stupple / Learning Management Software/ 0 Comments

How construction software is reshaping the industry 

Working in construction can require a diverse set of skills. These skills include people management, site management, project management and often physical labouring skills. With so much to manage, software can be a helpful asset in the construction industry.

Not only do systems like contractor management and audit software help to maintain compliance, they also help construction businesses run much more effectively. Construction software can make for a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.man in brown jacket looking at contract on DocuSign on a laptop

How software is reshaping the construction industry

Here’s how software benefits construction businesses and is becoming an essential in every businesses toolkit.

  • Software is saving businesses time and money

One of the main reasons that construction businesses are investing in software is that it is saving their employees time. By using a digital system, businesses can power through the processes that can sometimes take forever when using a paper-based system.

Software systems that work more productively can save huge amounts of money on construction sites. Instead of documents having to be passed around physically for sign off, with a digital software system, they can be accessed via mobile wherever that person is. This reduces the risk of the paperwork going missing or not being completed and means that employees and contractors can get to work right away.

By reducing risk in these areas, and ensuring that there is a digital trace of everything that goes on, businesses can save time and money.three men sitting while using laptops and watching man beside whiteboard

  • It is keeping people safe

Contractor management systems ensure that everyone is on the same page, and limits contractors working on the site when they shouldn’t be. Online safety inductions can be a huge benefit to construction companies who work with contractors, as it enables them to empower contractors to sign off their learning.

By confirming what they know, uploading their safe to work documents and signing that they agree to the work they have been assigned, everyone is safer. 

Contractor management in construction allows team members to sign off their training online. With a digital trace of the contractor confirming they understand the safety procedures, businesses can be much more confident that they have met their compliance requirements.

Similarly, audit software systems can help to keep people safe on your site by ensuring safety procedures and documents are completed. Without an audit to tell you how things are running on your site, it can be difficult to make actionable changes.

  • Audit and contractor management maintains compliance 

It lies within the businesses responsibilities to ensure that safe to work documents and qualifications are up to date and relevant for the role. This includes renewing records, reminding contractors when they need to submit a new work permit and ensuring that each work safety document is validated. 

Within a construction business, there can be plenty of people coming and going. Whether that’s visitors, contractors or employees moving around, the flow of people moving can be hard to manage. With COVID-19 making the tracing of people compulsory, it is essential that businesses have a good digital system in place.

Contractor management systems and visitor management systems can help construction businesses trace everyone on their site and keep hold of their details. With cloud based software, you can have a digital record of every individual’s trade qualifications, licenses, insurances and work permits that can be accessed remotely.

This can be invaluable in keeping everyone safe on site and ensuring that you remain compliant as a construction business.man in yellow shirt and blue denim jeans jumping on brown wooden railings under blue and

  • It helps construction businesses audit

High risk industries like construction will need more thorough and precise audits in order to maintain safety. Unlike other industries, if something goes wrong on a construction site things can be fatal. This is not a risk that any business can take, so audits help to tighten up procedures, see where the gaps in knowledge are, and ensure that corrective actions are taken before mistakes happen.

Paper based audits are slow, difficult to maintain, and make it impossible to follow up on corrective actions, however digital software systems make the whole process simple. Online auditing makes it easy to collate and analyse data, as well as to identify processes and procedures needing attention.

Every industry can benefit from software systems 

So, those are the main ways that software is reshaping the construction industry. However, it’s not just construction that is reaping the rewards of having solid software systems in place.

Discover how healthcare is benefiting from contractor management software in our latest article. Plus, if you’d like to learn how Beakon software works, feel free to sign up for a trial today!

Benefits of contractor management systems in healthcare
/ By Laura Stupple / Learning Management Software/ 0 Comments

Benefits of contractor management systems in healthcare

How much do you know about contractor management systems in healthcare?

Hiring and working with contractors can be one of the biggest risks to any business. However, in healthcare perhaps more-so. With so much on the line in terms of patient safety and data, it is vital that the entire workforce is operating in line with procedures and protocols.

With contractors, sometimes this can be a risk. When you work with people from outside of the organisation, it can be easy for them to enter your site with preconceived ideas about health and safety, security and general work practices.

Contractor management systems go a long way in helping to ensure that everyone is on the same page. In healthcare, where the implications of getting it wrong are even greater, it can be vital to have a good software system in place to help you manage contractors.three people inside factory wearing masks and coats

What do contractor management systems help manage in healthcare?

Contractor management systems help to manage contractors, of course. However in a healthcare setting the requirements for each contractor may be even greater. While the OHS management responsibility sits with the business itself, contractors do have a duty of care too. Contractors and business leaders must work together in order to ensure that adequate checks and procedures are carried out. 

Let’s look at some of the main benefits of using a contractor management system in healthcare:

  • Check healthcare specific experience 

Unlike other industries, it can be important that the contractors understand the unique risks and pressures of working in a healthcare setting. Contractor management systems can help businesses select their contractors based on prior experience, expertise and knowledge of the health care setting. Instead of having to sift through piles and piles of data, a contractor management system helps you pick out the contractors in your system who are suited to the particular role and have the health care expertise.

This saves time and money and also covers your back in the event of something going wrong. With a digital trace, you can prove that you did your due diligence and hired the right person for the job.

  • Monitor safe to work documents and qualifications

It lies within the businesses responsibilities to ensure that safe to work documents and qualifications are up to date and relevant for the role. This includes renewing records, reminding contractors when they need to submit a new work permit and ensuring that each work safety document is validated. 

Within each contractor’s file you can have a digital record of their trade qualifications, licenses, insurances and work permits. This can be invaluable in keeping everyone safe on site and ensuring that you remain compliant as you work with contractors.

  • Provide online safety inductions

Anyone who works on your site needs to have a safety induction so that they understand the WHS procedures. In healthcare, this is even more important, as often the safety procedures relate to human safety. There can be no mistakes, and an online safety induction to accompany a face to face one helps to solidify the safety information.

A key benefit of a contractor management system in healthcare is that the safety induction can be signed off online. With a digital trace of the contractor confirming they understand the safety procedures, businesses can be much more confident in their safety knowledge.

  • Deliver online learning 

No safety training is ever fully complete, as things change all the time. This is especially true in a health care environment where things evolve fast. Monitoring contractors online learning can be a nightmare, which is where a contractor management system comes in handy.

With the correct software in place, you can ensure that no one ever misses a refresher session or forgets to update their online training. With automated processes that remind contractors of their obligations, contractor management systems can help to minimise risk and ensure that online learning is completed on time.

  • Perform audits and checks

In a similar way to the online learning benefits, contractor management systems can help to audit contractor processes and see what is and isn’t working. This doesn’t always have to relate to risk reduction and safety, however this is probably the area where the benefits are most realised.

By keeping an eye on whether contractors are working in line with safety protocol, businesses can have a much better picture of their workforce. This understanding helps to minimise risk and correct any errors before they evolve into a bigger problem for the company.

person sitting while using laptop computer and green stethoscope near

COVID-19 Considerations 

With the COVID-19 risks that have come up over the past couple of years, it is more important than ever that health care spaces are kept safe, clean and compliant. Knowing exactly who is on your site, and when, is a crucial part of COVID-19 compliance, and contractor management systems enable businesses to keep a digital trace of where contractors have been and even who they are working with.

A contractor management system can be very helpful in managing COVID-19 risks, and can help businesses fulfil their obligations. Not only to the safety of their workforce and contractors, but to the public too.

When it comes to COVID-19, businesses must:

  • Demonstrate health and safety procedures
  • Keep visitor logs and ensure contractors sign in and out
  • Comply with health care specific requirements
  • Ensure that contractors are fully aware of COVID-19 procedures
  • Implement audits to monitor the success of COVID-19 contractor management processes

Beakon Software helps healthcare businesses manage contractors and remain compliant. Learn more about contractor management software over on our website.

Safety Software: The Key Benefits
/ By Laura Stupple / Learning Management Software/ 0 Comments

Construction Site Safety – Top Tips 

Working on a construction site is notoriously dangerous. In fact, it’s estimated that one out of every five workplace fatalities is construction-related.

While this stat is shocking, it is understandable that the rate of construction related incidents is high when there are so many variables that create risk. Whether you’re working from heights, using machinery or just performing arduous manual labour, working on a construction site can be risky business.

To reduce this risk, there are a few simple tips that you should know. Follow these simple safety tips to stay safe on site.

aerial photography of building construction

Construction site safety 101: Have a clean and tidy site

This is a great safety tip for any workplace, as many accidents occur due to falling or trip hazards. These can be drastically reduced by having a clean and tidy site where things are put away in their proper places. This means no equipment left out where someone might trip over it, and no wires left strewn across the site.

Similarly, with spillages, slip hazards or various dirt risks, ensuring that the site is kept clean and tidy will help reduce damage and keep everyone safe.

Ensure that inductions are thorough, even for contractors 

When it comes to inductions, many businesses still operate on a paper-based system. This can cause all sorts of problems such as unclear inductions, lost paperwork or lost traces of who has completed inductions vs who hasn’t. 

When you take this induction system online and invest in safety software, you’re much less likely to run into trouble. By giving everyone, including contractors, a full and thorough induction before they start, you minimise risk. Not only of an incident on your site, but in terms of safety and compliance too.

yellow and black excavator near white building during daytime

Make sure your permit to work system is up to date

Again, many businesses are living in the dark ages when it comes to permit to work systems. Often using physical copies of permits to work that are filed away. 

Instead of trusting paper-based options, why not invest in a permit to work system that takes your permits online? 

With a solid record of every permit to work issued and reminders when employee’s permits are running out, you’ll be able to stay on top of who is safe to work.

Without an up to date permit to work system, a construction site is potentially very dangerous. It is essential that the people working on the tools at your site know what they are doing, and a permit to work proves that.

Report defects and incidents

A big mistake that workers can make on a construction site is not reporting hazards, near misses and incidents. When we all work together to call out these dangers, we can minimise the risk on a construction site.

However, without the proper protocol in place, workers often don’t know who to tell when a near miss occurs on site. It is shocking how many incidents could have been prevented if the precursor event or warning problem was reported earlier on.

Encouraging a safety culture where people report even minor incidents can help to make your construction site a safer place to work.

man doing welding on outdoors

Be aware of the hazards on your site

Another top tip for ensuring safety on a construction site is being aware of the hazards that people are working with. As often as possible, companies should be auditing their safety procedures. This enables you to take notice of new hazards that might be appearing.

New equipment, new workers and new challenges are presented all the time on a construction site. Therefore being aware of the hazards is an evolving process.

Some hazards to consider to increase construction site safety are:

  • Working with noise
  • Working at height
  • Working with dust
  • Working with substances like asbestos
  • Fire hazards 
  • Site accident hazards
  • Structural collapse risks
  • Moving object hazards
  • Physical injuries caused by manual labour
Why Do Safety Management Systems Need To Be Constantly Evolving?
/ By admin / Safety Management • Safety Management Software • Work Health Safety/ 0 Comments

Why Do Safety Management Systems Need To Be Constantly Evolving?

Safety Management Systems help businesses manage safety in the workplace. From monitoring who is qualified to work, to ensuring that staff are trained and inducted properly, safety management systems can help businesses stay on top of OHS performance.

However, having a solid safety management system in place isn’t the end of the process. Safety systems need to be continually reviewed and audited to ensure that they are fit for purpose. We’re taking a look at why safety management systems need to continue to evolve in order to do their job properly.

Why are safety management systems beneficial?

Measuring, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of your safety practices is one of the best ways to continually progress when it comes to workplace safety. And that is exactly what safety management systems do. By collating your safety data, reminding you when to review safety measures and helping people complete their safety training and admin, they help to continually improve on OHS.

Danger Construction site signage

Safety management systems help businesses to:

  • Manage their accountabilities, policies and procedures
  • Alert your team to any risks or dangers 
  • Ensure that your business is acting in accordance with the law
  • Offer automated reminders
  • Encourage better safety practices
  • Make safety admin quick and easy
  • Minimise the risk of incidents
  • Understand the cost of incidents
  • Manage safety policies, safety accountabilities, emergency response planning, hazard identification, risk assessment and much more.aerial photography of building construction

Safety Management Systems Have To Continually Evolve To Be Effective

The world we live in is fast-paced and ever changing. This means that our safety systems need to be too. Safety management practices need to continually evolve to cater to a businesses evolving needs. Here are some of the top reasons that businesses need to keep challenging and changing their procedures:

  • Keep up with technology

Technology is ever changing, and safety procedures can benefit from going digital. In order to keep your processes up to date and keep up with the competition, you need to be continually updating your software systems. This goes for all aspects of your business, where utilising technology will help you stay ahead and streamline your processes. 

When it comes to safety and compliance, businesses often upgrade their technology in order to save time and money. Whilst this is an amazing perk, the number one bonus is that it enables your team to access and fill in safety procedures from anywhere, and this boosts compliance and keeps employees safe.

  • Manage changes in the workplace

Every workplace evolves and changes rapidly. Safety processes that worked one month might not work the next, and your team needs to be updated on the changes that will keep them safe. By auditing, updating, and keeping up to date with any changing safety needs, you’re much more likely to minimise risk. 

Safety management systems need to be continually challenged in order to ensure that they are still fit for purpose for the organisation today.

  • To create a safety first culture 

When you adjust and monitor your safety systems, it proves to your team that you care about their safety and creates a safety first culture. Processes need to be updated to remind your employees of the importance of safety at work, and to allow them to feedback on any changes they feel are important.

Often employees will know first hand what is working and what is not working, and giving them the space to share their thoughts can be really powerful. Ultimately, long-term changes will only occur when everyone is onboard, and by putting safety management systems in the spotlight you remind everyone just how important it is.

Are you looking to create a safety first organisation within your business? Take a look at some of the most powerful safety management tools on the market to help your business take action.

Online Safety Inductions: Are They Effective?
/ By admin / Incident Management • Learning Management Software • OHS Software • Online induction software • Permit to work • Risk assessment software • Risk Management Software • Safety Management • Safety Management Software • Work Health Safety/ 0 Comments

5 Occupational Health And Safety Procedures That Businesses Forget About

How do Australia’s Workplace Health And Safety Procedures measure up? Well, although Australia’s Health system is ranked one of the best in the world, when it comes to workplace accidents it has some work to do. According to SafeWork Australia, in the year 2020, 182 Australian workers were killed at work. For a country that is considered very safe, this is actually a very high number of fatal accidents at work.

When compared to the 111 workers who died due to fatal injuries at their workplace in the year 2019-2020 in the UK this stat becomes quite shocking. Why? Because comparatively the UK has far more workers vs Australia. With a population of 66 million vs Australia’s 25 million, you’d expect the UK to have far more serious work accidents however this isn’t the case. This shows us that there is work to be done when it comes to health and safety procedures at work. 

Many fatal accidents are just that – accidents. They are largely unavoidable and happen as a fluke. However, there are some that occur due to negligence or complacency. In this article we’re looking at how businesses can tighten up their procedures to stop workplace accidents from happening, with the top procedures that businesses forget about.

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Workplace Safety Inductions

Picture the scene. A new employee starts at work, who comes highly recommended from a friend or colleague. You’re sure that he has all of the necessary safety knowledge to get started on your site. He’s pretty much ready to get started, and assures you that he’s fine to get cracking without a boring safety induction. The project is behind schedule and it would be really handy to skip a full workplace safety induction, as you’re confident that he will be fine.

Would you let him get started? Often the answer is yes. However, the answer should be a resounding NO. Workplace safety inductions are essential, and should never be skipped. You can streamline them with online software that helps you manage safety on the go, but never never forget to get it done.

man in black jacket holding lighted sparkler

Ongoing training

How often do things change in a workplace? Very often!

This is why the safety training needs to be ongoing, and relative to your workplace. What is true one month may change the next, and only with a system that allows quick and effective knowledge sharing can you be sure that your team is fully protected.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is getting workplace safety signed off and then ignoring it for 6 months to a year. This is where accidents can happen, so ongoing training is a must!

red hard hat on pavement\

Procrastinating an audit

Often we’ll ask businesses when they carried out their last safety audit, and often the answer is ‘never’. This is a major mistake, as audits offer an effective way to keep on top of your safety processes, manage data and find out how efficient your processes are. They serve as a great way to stop and reflect on what is working and what is not working, and get the team onboard with the changes. 

Procrastinating an audit is one of the quickest ways to encourage accidents on your site, as without a full view of how things are operating, you can’t be sure what’s going wrong.

5 Occupational Health And Safety Procedures That Businesses Forget About

Not monitoring overwork

How many times have people rocked up to your site and got ready to get on the tools, and you’ve looked at them and thought “you haven’t slept”? When people are operating machinery, working with heights, or dealing with physical labour where risk is involved, they should not be working if they are tired, overworked or ill.

Taking this into account will have a massive effect on how many accidents occur on your site. We’re not saying that people need to always call in sick if they’re a bit tired, but creating a culture of taking care of yourself and monitoring health should definitely be encouraged.

person holding tool during daytime

Not having an effective back to work plan

In the unfortunate instance of an incident occurring on your site, you need to ensure that a full back to work plan is in place. Often businesses will neglect this aspect of workplace safety and assume that if someone is ready to come back to work that they are good to go. This is not always the case.

Without a proper back to work plan, the injured employee may push too hard too soon and cause even more damage. Easing them back in slowly is a must, and injury management software helps to aid that process.

OHS Software For Your Business

Beakon offers OHS software that helps your business stay on top of your health and safety procedures. Discover what our clients have to say about our service now.

Who Is Task Management Software For?
/ By Laura Stupple / Audit Management • Audit Software • Contractor Management • Contractor Management Software • Learning Management Software • OHS Software • Safety Management • Work Health Safety/ 0 Comments

3 Key Benefits Of Beakon, As Shared By Our Clients

At Beakon, we’re proud to work with Australia’s leading businesses and some of the world’s most dynamic enterprises. 

We work with an array of clients, from billion-dollar companies to businesses who can count their employees on one hand. We’re proud of all our longstanding business relationships, and always try to best serve our clients with our software solutions.

We’re so delighted that every day we get to keep our clients’ workers, visitors, and contractors safe, secure, and properly managed with Beakon Software. Occasionally, clients will write and tell us how happy they have been with the service they’ve received from Beakon and how it has positively impacted their business.

In this article we’re looking at some of the lovely things our clients have said about our software with the 3 key benefits that they often cite.

1. Positive Induction Experiences

Creating a positive induction experience is so important. With an LMS that pulls together all the relevant information in one place, you can rest assured that the people who work for you know everything they need to. 

Many of our customers tell us that our induction software is ideal for them because it offers:

  • Customisable dashboards
  • Live tracking
  • Online grading 
  • Full functionality on PCs, tablets, and smartphones.
  • SCORM compliance
  • The ability to maintain online and offline training records.
  • Reports and dashboards
  • Simple to use for all levels users

Client Testimonial 

“We use Beakon contractor management and site induction software to manage documents, licenses, and inductions for all our site visitors. Because we work with electricity safety is our first priority and Beakon’s software has been easy to set up and use. We would recommend Beakon to anybody needing a simple and reliable system for managing work sites in multiple locations”.

2. Reduced Admin Costs

Documentation can be the bane of any worker’s life, but with Beakon our clients say that they save time, money and energy by streamlining their processes with digital software. Instead of having multiple paper-based records to manage, Beakon simplifies admin by bringing things together in one place.

This saves a lot of time, and means that your team can draw upon customised reports whenever they need to. Instead of manually having to deal with admin, workers are able to rely on software that reduces admin costs and saves them time.

Client Testimonial

“We have cut our admin costs and insurance costs significantly since we started using Beakon last year. We would recommend it to any business trying to take control of OHS and WHS”.

“Beakon provided our company with Operations and Maintenance documentation support to ensure the delivery of defect free projects in a centralised location. The Audit and Induction Management software ensured all contractors insurances were up to date and that safety induction procedures were being followed”.

3. Better Visitor And Contractor Management

Visitor and contractor management can be a challenge, however with the support of Beakon software your team can rest assured that everyone will be kept safe and compliant. With better visitor and contractor management systems, your business can get a grasp of who is entering and leaving your site at all times.

Client Testimonial

“The software supports self-induction via the Visitor Management System. I was able to easily log my team onto the Visitor Management System and utilize the self service induction facility. We were able to complete the induction at a time that suited us best, saving cost and increasing productivity on the day. Great system, easy and simple to use”.

“Beakon’s Contractor Management and Site Induction have really helped us. We looked at a number of options but chose Beakon because the software was so easy to customise, making it less expensive and faster to implement”.

You can check out who we work with over on our website. Or, if you’re keen to get behind the wheel, why not take Beakon for a test drive today? We’re offering a free trial of our software for new customers.