Data management has always been a key factor in the success of any business, but in recent years it has become even more important. With the advent of big data and data analytics, businesses are now able to gather and process vast amounts of information more efficiently than ever before. This has led to a new era of data-driven decision making, in which relevant insights are used to inform and improve every aspect of a business, from marketing to product development to operations.
Safety is one area where data can have a particularly profound impact. In highly regulated industries such as manufacturing, safety is of the utmost importance, and even a small improvement in safety can have a big impact on a company’s bottom line. By using data to better understand their safety programs, organizations are able to produce a long-lasting impact on the efficiency of their business as a whole. The question is, how can organizations leverage data to achieve compliance? In this article, we’ll discuss the three ways in which organizations can best use information systems to gain a better understanding of their safety program, create more efficient workplaces, and achieve sustained compliance.
Automation
Automation is a powerful technology that can help streamline your processes and make them more accurate. By automating the collection, communication, and storage of data, you can save a significant amount of administrative time and create a workflow that collects the information you need on autopilot. Automation can help you collect data such as third-party submissions, validity dates for training and qualifications, and much more. By automating these processes, you can improve the accuracy and efficiency of your operations and leverage any information you have to achieve compliance. In short, automating your data collection can save you a significant amount of time all while helping you to maintain a high standard of compliance.
Auditing
Auditing is a tool that can be used by organizations to produce a comprehensive analysis of the state of their safety program. Performing frequent workplace audits can help uncover any potential risks before they become an issue, so you and your team can address them head on. In many cases, businesses are unaware of the amount of data that they’re able to collect and what actionable insights they can extract from them. Auditing can be greatly beneficial in these situations, as it can help businesses to better understand their data and make better decisions about how to use it to improve workplace safety. To leverage this information, it’s important to know what to look for when conducting audits. Take a look at your current safety program to spot gaps in data, align your audits with regulatory requirements so you don’t miss anything important, and consult with different departments to ensure that the data you’re using and collecting is in fact accurate.
Decision-Making
Being able to decipher data to give you an overview of what your safety program looks like can ensure that you’re always one step ahead of any potential risks. In safety, being decisive is as vital to the success of your program as making the right decisions. The insights you collect about your safety program over time will help you and your team make actionable decisions that are backed by actual information.
This data can come from a variety of sources, including safety audits, incident reports, and injury statistics. By analyzing this data, you can identify patterns and trends that may be indicative of potential safety hazards. This information can then be used to develop and implement proactive safety measures to help prevent accidents and injuries from occurring.
Closing remarks
Efficient data has always been an essential component of running a successful business. Now more than ever, organizations have become heavily intent based with their data management efforts in a bid to keep up with evolving EHS standards and the general shift toward a safety-first outlook. Data touch points encompass a number of EHS processes such as external compliance, supply chain management, and more. To make the most out of your information, be sure to implement tools such as contractor management solutions, auditing and reporting software, compliance tools, and more. Using this information in the correct manner will allow you simultaneously protect your workplace as you safeguard your business’s bottom line.
Addison Moore is Director of Marketing at Contractor Compliance.