If asked, how we measure safety commitment, visibility would be an appropriate answer, and it becomes real when everyone develops an intense focus on critical safety processes. That take planning, questions increase when the intensity is aroused – which prompts a response.

As health and safety professionals, one can have vast health and safety programs spanning multiple divisions, locations and work functions across hundreds, if not thousands, of employees. Tailoring the requirements to the situation and needs of each employee enables to shrink the situational requirements to each worker in a ‘just in time’ and ‘just as needed’ scenario.

Talking about EHS software is putting safety in the palm of the team’s hands that enhances employee engagement, consistency and accountability for paperless real-time EHS program.

Plus, with the spread of COVID-19, pandemic and contingency planning has received renewed focus. Leveraging EHS software keeps the business continuity planning and effort more streamlined and less daunting.

Visible management and commitment is undoubtedly the necessary cornerstone to building a successful safety culture – is also the mark that distinguishes a culture. EHS software aids in erasing the smudge that lies in the workforce health and safety planning and strengthen the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Detecting exposures and their control

For many companies, letting employees work remotely is an option – but not for all.

For those who lie in the latter category, tracking and monitoring their workforce health is critical to maintain operations in the pandemic.

EHS software is an automated solution to this challenge – software setup can send in health check assessments directly to the employees so that they complete their questionnaires quickly and easily.  Automatically capturing the response by the software and high-risk employees can be directed to self-isolate, identified for frequent monitoring and directed to receive testing. Further, the patterns related to the spread and the transmission rates can be traced – that can be further used to control the spread of COVID-19.

2. Necessary sanitization and hygiene processes

It becomes important for industries to review their existing cleaning processes.

Understand things such as – how frequently are surfaces disinfected and sanitized? Answering those things help limit the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

EHS software automates the tracking and reoccurring of cleaning and maintenance tasks – that allows companies to easily monitor those processes. Offering the analytic and reporting features helps increase the accountability of the necessary tasks, such as the PPE use, which lessens the spread of COVID-19.

Further corrections help reduce the exposure of COVID-19 in the workplace – this is the flexibility provided by a software solution as it identifies, analyzes and takes corrective actions.

3. Managing employee absences

Absence tracking becomes important for individuals who show symptoms of COVID-19 or the ones who have been exposed to the virus – EHS software tracks the employee absences and enable them to return to their work. That associates employee absences to potential workplace exposure that becomes necessary to manage costs related to worker compensation claims.

It helps in reduction of the time companies spend managing work-related illnesses as it auto-populates the forms required by federal or local government agencies. And quickly helps to ensure compliance with appropriate regulations—leaving more time to focus on managing the impact of COVID-19.

4. Managing contractors

One can take in steps to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.

It begins by evaluating the ways companies incorporate practical health screenings in the contractor pre-qualification process.

EHSQ software can help automate the contractor pre-qualification process by leveraging digital solutions to communicate the necessary data to assess the risk posed by contractors before they begin work on a project. Companies use the software to assign questionnaires to contractors who complete the questionnaire using their mobile devices, and allow companies to conduct health status checks and identify higher-risk contractors.

An EHS software solution allows contractors in using their mobile devices to “sign-in” when they arrive on the job. Companies then track and validate individuals on-site and act quickly if an individual isn’t on the list of cleared workers.

While companies should be taking steps now to manage the impacts of COVID-19 on their employees and their operations, it’s also important to think beyond the immediate pandemic and consider a company’s long-term needs and future risks. Other virus outbreaks have spread throughout the world in the past and any future outbreak could present similar risks as COVID-19. Though vaccination is in continuation, one still needs to understand that present risks cannot be undermined.