Maintaining correct procedures and practices on the job site requires the identification of potential work hazards. This is where SWMS and JSA’s come into play. Standing for Safe Work Method Statement and Job Safety Analysis respectively, this is how Sunshine Coast construction companies create a safe work environment for their employees. By having paperless construction sites digital record keeping, such procedures can be kept efficiently.
It was not long ago when construction companies had to deal with a tremendous amount of paperwork just in keeping within the required safety rules and regulations. Going paperless has not only reduced the amount of paper used, it has also made collecting information far more efficient.
How SWMS & JSA’s Follow Regulations
The OHS Regulations that were instituted in 2007 by the Victorian Government required that employers had to make a written record of all risk control measures that were implemented. This requirement is similar to other safety laws across Australia. But as digital technology improved, the shift from keeping paper records to going paperless became more prevalent.
Features: Using paperless safety apps, the information can be collected using text, speech, photographs, and even video. Notes can be made to identify safety equipment, note their use, and record areas in which such equipment or precautions should be used.
Mobile Devices: Smartphones and tablets can take pictures of areas identified as high risk. Such images can be augmented by text that better describes the situation and make notes about what actions to take.
Create Preventative Steps: One of the most important functions of going digital is being able to create preventative measures in areas identified as a safety risk. The instructions are created in real-time and can be shared immediately.
Advantages Paperless Safe Work Method Statement
There is the obvious advantage of not having to use paper for recordkeeping which is more environmentally sound and makes losing the information more difficult. But apart from using far less paper, there are other advantages to going with a digital SWMS system.
Organisation: You can now pull all the requires SWMS and JSA materials into one place where it can be safely stored and updated. Plus, you can store the information online or in different sources so in case the worst should occur, you still have the information available.
Shared Information: Once recorded, the information can immediately be shared by anyone who has a mobile device. This means that alerts can be sent out to employees about new rules and regulations, safety risks that have been identified, and new equipment that is available.
Speed: When you compare the time it takes to record the information digitally as opposed to writing it down or printing it to paper, you can see how much time is saved. Plus, errors can be corrected quickly which makes it easier to use.
The use of SWMS and JSA’s on Sunshine Coast construction projects means having a shared system of procedures, identification of potential hazards, and a record of incidents that all leads to a safer working environment. By making paper construction sites digital, it means having a cleaner system that can be updated immediately when needed. Contact Ross Broadfoot who is an expert in this area.
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