Imagine you’re working on a big construction project, and you’ve been running around completing audits, conducting observations, implementing corrective actions, visiting other jobsite locations, and holding safety meetings with multiple groups. This is busy work for any safety professional and the last thing you have on your mind is dealing with inefficient processes along the way.
One primary hurdle safety professionals come face to face with is managing big stacks of paper. This can look like chasing down certain individuals to have them sign forms. Maybe it’s looking through countless documents to find one specific piece of information. Printing paper can also be tiresome (and expensive). Or maybe weather wasn’t on your side that day and wind blew away important papers OSHA required after an incident took place.
Aside from what can happen to paper in the field, what about the paper that is stored at the office? Construction Business Owner reports that “70 percent of businesses would fail in three weeks if they had a catastrophic loss of paper due to a fire or flood.”
When it comes down to it, juggling paper is like playing a game of roulette. The associated risk behind using paper forms can ultimately cost you more than revenue and a disorganized safety program.
Believe it or not, many construction companies still deal with these problems. Insider Monkey (a Yahoo Finance investing partner) reported construction as one of the least digitized industries as of May 2023. And more specifically, according to STACK’s 2020 Preconstruction Report, 26% of nearly 1,000 construction companies use pen and paper to manage their projects. Although many are turning to a digital solution, many are still blind in the weeds of paper processe
With how quickly technology advances, upgrading to a digital safety solution makes sense in just about any case or any project. This technological shift presents many advantages. All of them contribute to solving problems in many areas by offering a more efficient safety process, making sure reporting is accurate, keeping workers safe, and saving companies money and time.
Interested to learn how transitioning from paper forms to a digital safety management tool will benefit your organization? Read on to familiarize yourself with the top 5 benefits of switching.
1. Streamlined Data Collection and Real-Time Reporting
Construction safety management software drastically simplifies the process of data collection. One of the ways it does this through digital forms that can be filled out on-site quickly and accurately. With paper, you may not gather all pertinent information required and you’ll take additional time figuring out what data is needed. That alone sounds problematic.
And think about the efficiency of storing data in a single source and having all the information you need to make important safety decisions while knowing you aren’t missing critical information? This also saves you precious time (think scanning, organizing, and manually creating spreadsheets), which frankly any safety professional would agree is in very short supply.
Best of all, the software automates the reporting process. This allows for real-time access to safety data. As a result, you can clock quicker response times in case of emergencies.
If you’re tired of construction safety errors in your documentation, lack of automation in your safety processes, struggling to save time by doing tedious paperwork when reporting, then going digital is the solution for you.
2. Improved Efficiency, Accessibility, and Teamwork in Safety Processes
The transition from paper forms to digital solutions can streamline an entire safety program, no matter the organization or project size. If you’re overwhelmed by incident reporting, hazard identification, and safety inspections, these tasks become less cumbersome with software automation and standardization, whereas paper falls short.
This daily safety efficiency translates to a better working environment for you and your frontline. You’ll also appreciate the reduced chances of accidents, avoiding tough conversations with stakeholders as to why an incident wasn’t prevented, less worrying about OHSA fines and being out of compliance, and more.
Another benefit of going digital is that it allows for seamless teamwork, communication, and collaboration. With a safety software tool, critical communications can go all the way up the chain to reach supervisors and other stakeholders so they’re aware of processes and updates without any hassle or delays. Being able to access data is just as important as storing it and sharing it.
3. Cost Savings Through Paperless Operations
Adopting digital solutions can drastically reduce and sometimes eliminate paperwork. You can expect significant cost savings from this. Additionally, you no longer contribute to the percentage of total waste (26%) at landfills.
Here are a few stats to be aware of:
- The Construction Business Owner reports that it takes employees an average of 18 minutes to find a paper document.
- CIO reports that companies can spend $27,000 per year on document-management systems and maintenance for an average of 5,000 pages per month.
- World Economic Forum shares that full-scale digitization in construction would save 21 percent in design, engineering, and building costs globally by 2026.
Using paper over a digital system might seem like the cheaper choice, but the cost of employees’ time, paper reams, scanners and printers, and the potential cost of important documents getting lost or destroyed adds up quickly.
Plus, the efficiency gained through digital processes can help minimize downtime and potential fines – another source of unwanted costs contributes to a further cost reduction. It does this by minimizing downtime and potential fines associated with safety violations.
4. Long-term Data Analysis and More
One of the keys to building and expanding a safety program is within the data. The ability to easily access historical data and analyze long-term trends helps you identify trends, issues, and potential solutions. Having access to this information is crucial to the success of any safety program in the long term.
The opportunity with using construction safety management software is that you can have a single source of truth for all of your safety data. No need to keep critical information stored in various spreadsheets, PDFs, and boxes like you would with paper forms.
Historical Data Storage
Construction safety management software is a hub for historical safety data. It archives information related to incidents, near misses, safety inspections, and more. By storing this data, the software ensures construction companies have access to a wealth of information, so you can use it for analysis later when having important discussions with company stakeholders.
Pattern Recognition
The software’s analytical tools let construction companies pinpoint patterns within safety data. It’s important to scrutinize past incidents and near misses. That way, construction safety professionals can recognize themes or commonalities. This pattern recognition is invaluable in understanding the root causes of safety issues. From there, you can use targeted interventions to handle challenges.
Pinpointing Potential Hazards from the Past
Are you wondering what else you can get from the analysis of historical data? It’s also a great way to spot potential hazards that may have been overlooked in the past. This strategy empowers construction companies to put more preventive measures in place.
Benchmarking and Performance Tracking
Construction safety management software makes it easier to benchmark thoroughly. It does this by comparing current safety performance with your historical data. This comparison allows companies to track their progress over time and evaluate the effectiveness of new safety initiatives.
Benchmarking is an essential tool for setting realistic safety goals and raising the bar for safety standards. Plus, the longer you use the software, the more you can get out of it. This is one reason why it’s worth investing in it as soon as possible.
It's Time to Enjoy the Benefits of Construction Safety Management Software
With modern construction safety management software, you can have a robust and cohesive safety operation like never before. This is a winning opportunity for your frontline, shareholders, and the entire organization. Paper doesn’t have to run your safety operations, so go ahead-ditch the mundane for ease, efficiency, and accuracy on the frontline.
Everything starts with the cutting-edge software provided by Safety Mojo. There’s a reason that businesses who focus on safety put their trust in Safety Mojo. From powerful analytics to an easy interface, our solution is the most dependable. Don’t take our word for it. Instead, feel free to try a demo of Safety Mojo and see for yourself how revolutionary it is.
