Technology

Everything You Need to Know About EHS Software 

 

For industries that work with hazardous materials and components, accidents are just disasters waiting to happen. Which is why international standards place a premium on environmental, health and safety standards and best practices. The world over, fatal workplace accidents could have been prevented if the company had an effective safety protocol. It is a reality though that despite the existence of policies and regulations governing safety in operation and manufacturing, compliance with safety regulations is not a priority and often takes a backseat as management is more concerned with increasing productivity and sales. The problem however is due to the complexity of safety regulations and compliance that makes it difficult for businesses to achieve. Coupled with the fact that not many people in the production line knows how to implement the safety requirements. Fortunately, there is now an EHS Software that will take out the guesswork and the difficulty of implementing environmental, health and safety systems. 

What is EHS and can EHS software help? 

EHS is environmental, health and safety which are key process systems that are crucial to any business operation. The absence of or the minimal compliance to EHS makes the workplace highly accident-prone and disaster-prone. Whether, the company is in manufacturing or production, and in marketing and distribution, EHS is of prime importance. Most of the worst accidents that occur in the workplace setting are due to poor or even non-existent safety precautions. Most countries have adapted the international standards on safety and hence the factors considered in accreditation and compliance to standards are basically the same across countries. Environmental would refer to the impact of the company’s processes to the environmental especially in terms of pollution, carbon emission, disposal of chemical wastes and others. With global warming and climate change as very real threats to our way of life, there are more stringent standards that the company has to comply with. Sad to say, with the lack of willpower and government regulation, not every company has the proper environmental impact measures. Health refers to the impact of the operation and production processes that might affect the health of the workers and its neighboring communities. For example, a cement company is dangerous in the sense that its workers are constantly exposed to micro particles in the air and may lead to respiratory diseases or illnesses. The company therefore has to have health safeguards in the plant or factory, and it needs to comply with the guideline set by the state and the World Health Organization. Safety on the other hand refers to the safety precaution implemented in the company in every part of the production process. For example, it is required that once you enter the plant or factory, you need to wear workplace boots with protective covering to protect the feet from any injury due to falling equipment or other tools. There are various safety standards for each aspect of the business and it may become confusing to those who do not comply with it, but it does prevent accidents effectively. The EHS software integrates data on the said environmental, health and safety practices of the company and will be able to determine the level of compliance for each aspect. 

What is an EHS Software? 

An EHS software is a specialized and dedicated computer program that oversees and manage the environmental, health and safety processes of the company. It mainly gathers data about the different processes involved in the operation of the company and compare this to the set standards and will come up with a report to determine if the company had been compliant with the standards or not. The management can then make changes into the operation process or to improve the facilities and procedures to lessen the possibility of accidents and to comply with the standards on health and safety. The software is essentially a quality management program but focuses more on the monitoring of safety issues and making sure that the company is compliant with OHSA and other standards. EHS software is a highly intuitive program that is able to identify risks and the likelihood of impact to the environment and to the health of the workers for every business action or processes. The software can also conduct data analysis and then come up with clear and actionable reports complete with photos and other pertinent information to allow the company management to take action and be in compliance with the needed regulations and standards. Moreover, the software also informs the management of their suggestions derived from the reports and the best course of action as determined by using heuristics and algorithms that have been built in the program. 

A Web Based EHS Software 

In the past, programs are fully operational within a specified location, where data is stored in the local drives in the company. This old system was cumbersome, if there are any hardware issues, the program would not be operational, and damaged disks would mean permanently lost data which is unrecoverable. The good thing about modern EHS Software is that it is entirely web-based and the data is stored in the cloud which means that it can be accessed on the go, and in cases of lost data, it can easily be retrieved from the cloud. By being web-based, it does not need to be downloaded and eat up much space from your precious network, it can easily be learned by anybody in as much as twenty minutes. The internet has become home to a number of applications and programs and since it is here to stay for the longest time, we are assured that the EHS software will be running for a long time to come, and since all the data it has gathered is stored in the cloud, it can also be accessed with the right username and password. It has its own safety protocols in place, and is resistant to hacking so you can be assured that your data on security processes and operations are protected. 

Achieve EHS Compliance 

The importance of having a safe workplace cannot be taken for granted which is why there are stringent rules and guidelines in the conduct of businesses and operations. An effective and efficient workplace should also be a safe one, hence compliance with EHS standards are of prime importance. Certain accreditation reviews clearly look at the process of the company or plant and more so with safety protocols. Some countries require compliance with this set of safety standards for them to operate, for some it is considered the best practices. A top company is therefore one that is fully compliant with EHS standards and have been accident free for years. EHS software will be able to help you achieve compliance with each of the safety areas as the software provides clear documentation, accurate information, safety responsibilities and standardized procedures in the company. 

Frontline EHS Software 

In as much as EHS is important to all businesses, there is actually a few EHS software available in the market. Some companies use outdated programs as it is cheaper but it is difficult to manage and time-consuming. Others do not even invest in an EHS software but rather use manual safety precautions without any clear objectives or goals to improve the company and its operation. Frontline EHS software is a state-of-the-art, intuitive and web-based EHS program. Here are a few reasons why you should consider integrating Frontline EHS software to your business operations. 

The data that the EHS software will be collecting is stored securely in the cloud and in a secondary off-site location to ensure that data is never lost or corrupted. Since your data is very important to your business and is required for compliance, you can have access to your data 24/7 and for others you give want to give access to. You have control over your data and it can be accessed across devices. 

When you integrate EHS software into your company’s network there is no need to buy special equipment or computers. It is powerful and yet can seamlessly work with your existing network and system. Lead time is very short, your workers can learn the program in less than an hour, and there is no need for long trainings and special computer skills. The EHS software can be set-up and running in an hour and you can begin to use it afterwards. 

In cases when problems arise, be assured that Frontline has an excellent customer support service. The company has a dedicated support staff that will help you fix any issues or difficulties with the program twenty four hours a day. Moreover, if the issue is not addressed over the phone, on-site visits are readily available. 

In the long-term, having an EHS software is cost-effective for your company, for one program you get a number of services that are essential for the smooth operation of your company. Hence, if you are looking for a robust and intuitive EHS software, don’t just keep looking, call for a consultation and see for yourself the benefits of having an EHS software.