How mobile apps can help with EHS inspections

Resources

November 24, 2017

Resource: Blog Industry: Multiple Industries
Tags: Vector EHS Management

Mobile apps have offered countless improvements to everyday tasks since their introduction in 2008, and environmental health and safety (EHS) inspections are no exception. Through the use of inspection mobile apps, your company can expect more accurate data, better compliance, and time saved conducting inspections.

EHS management has garnered additional attention in recent years, with rapid developments in technology offering new trends in the safety industry.

As such, a large number of organizations have begun turning toward mobile technologies. An independent survey of EHS decision makers found that nearly three-quarters of organizations plan to implement mobile technology in their safety program in 2019.

It's no wonder so many organization are allocating resources to mobile technology, as they hope to reap the benefits they offer particularly in managing EHS inspections.

Improved data accuracy

It's no secret accurate EHS data leads to safer on-site conditions, but traditional ways of conducting inspections are at risk of collecting inaccurate data.

Both paper forms and spreadsheets can easily lose data through physical misplacement or accidental deletion respectively. Inspection mobile apps, on the other hand, utilize cloud-database storage to ensure records are never misplaced, and are backed up in the event of accidental alterations.

These mobile apps also allow for more detailed data collection, allowing employees add photos to line items with the mobile device's camera. This lessens the concern for vague problem descriptions and illegible handwriting.

Most importantly, inspection mobile apps simplify the entire inspection process. By eliminating extra steps, there is less chance that key insights get lost in the migration shuffle. This not only prevents lost data, but also assists in speeding up the inspection process.

Worker with phone, using a mobile app

Save Time

As with most modern technology, inspection mobile apps allow workers and EHS managers to save considerable time with their inspections.

You can expect to save the most time during the submission and follow-up process. Whether you're using paper forms or simple programs such as Excel, sending the inspection to the appropriate parties can be very time consuming.

Companies relying on physical forms, spreadsheets or outdated legacy software leads face broken workflows, incomplete action items, and work duplication.

Instead, inspection mobile apps will allow your employees to submit their findings immediately upon completion with an internet connection. Remote employees out in the field with no internet connection will simply need to establish one, but even then the process can be as simple as reopening the app and selecting "submit".

The sooner inspections are sent to the appropriate parties, the sooner defective items can be corrected. Inspection mobile apps that support corrective actions and work in tandem with automatic email alerts will further improve follow-up speed.

Best of all, decreasing the time it takes to correct defective items will also result in better regulation compliance.

Safety worker with phone, mobile app

Strengthen compliance practices

In addition to a faster follow up process, mobile inspection apps can help organizations strengthen OSHA compliance through employee engagement.

There are few bigger threats to worker safety than employees who have a negative attitude toward safety initiatives. Those who see EHS inspections as simply another upper-management chore will not put effort into their inspections, and may not notice safety violations.

Inspection mobile apps help mitigate these attitudes and the risks that come with them. The faster speed and familiarity of using smart mobile devices helps to better engage employees in EHS inspections. This is particularly important for inspections that must be conducted frequently, such as the driver vehicle inspection report, as these inspections are most at risk of missing deficiencies.

The more engaged an employee is, the more seriously they take their inspection, and the less likely they will be to miss defective items.

Join the thousands using Inspection Mobile Apps

These gains alone can lead to improved inspection practices that lay the groundwork for safer work environments and fewer costly compliance-related hassles.

Businesses interested in adopting mobile EHS software should connect with IndustrySafe, as we offer a powerful inspections software and mobile app made to bolster EHS operations. Give yourself a break and let your smartphone do some of the work. Contact us today or schedule a demo of our mobile app to learn more.

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