Harnessing Software to Reinforce Safety Culture
Software can be a primary tool in not only providing real-time insights and alerts into safety performance, but also in reinforcing and expanding an organization’s safety culture.
- By Andrew Fisher
- Nov 08, 2023
As workplace safety cultures continue to expand and evolve, instant visibility into safety, efficiency, and much more should be the primary goal of any modern solution. Visibility into the hazards faced by workers allows safety managers to be proactive and avoid risk.
With this goal, it’s no surprise that businesses in industrial environments are turning toward updated software solutions to help achieve their safety goals. As software that connects seamlessly with a businesses’ hardware solutions can offer real-time alerts and analytics that help improve safety, reduce risk, and boost productivity.
Even if your team of safety professionals have already applied a software solution like this in the workplace, you can maximize its impact on your safety culture with a few simple steps.
The Impact on Your Business
Although American workplaces are safer than they have ever been, workers are still sustaining significant injuries while on the clock. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019. This is, on average, more than 100 fatalities per week or about 15 fatalities every day.
These incidents can wreak havoc on your budget, resulting in losses from decreased productivity. There are also hospital bills, workers’ compensation payments, and other expenses to account for.
Injuries are also often examined by occupational health and safety inspectors. This can result in penalties ranging from $13,260 to $132,598 for each non-compliance occurrence. In 2018 alone, businesses accumulated $52.4 billion in wage and productivity losses, according to the National Safety Council. These costs add up, making any worker injury or illness quite expensive.
By ensuring your organization has a software solution that connects seamlessly with your hardware solutions, you can help protect both your bottom line and workers.
For example, a complete safety solution includes pairing gas detectors with cloud-based experiences that offer real-time site analytics and worker status updates. This gives safety managers the awareness to reduce risk and manage productivity while also maximizing your return on investment.
Executives, meanwhile, can also access these analytics to get a high-level overview of site safety and productivity. However, simply having these software options in place isn’t going to add value if your workers aren’t properly and regularly trained on how to use the gas detection equipment.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.