A significant part of your job as a safety manager involves conducting safety audits. A simple and effective way to eliminate cabinets full of paper files is by managing them digitally.

When it comes to safety audit software, several types exist in the market today, even though not all of them are equally useful. From Cadillac-style tools that come with a lot of extra features you don’t need and a hefty price tag to bare-bones systems that are little more than glorified file managers.

Here, knowing which type of software is right for your company is essential? Visit these five questions to make your decision.

1. How easy is it to build my safety audits within the system?

To meet your company’s needs, a manager needs to be able to customise environmental, health and safety audits, as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to auditing.

2. Can audit be performed remotely using the software?

To meet the latest technology and your users’ preferences, your safety auditing software needs to be adaptable as these days; you are more likely to be seen making the rounds with a tablet or smartphone than a clipboard and checklist. To be able to perform the audit directly in the system, look for a software system that allows you to log in remotely from any device instead of writing everything on a sheet of paper and manually entering it later.

Ensure the system you choose accommodates checklist and clipboard as some of your coworkers might be more comfortable using it, too. For digital storage, look for audit management software that allows users to scan paper documents and upload them later easily.

3. Does the system offer varying levels of access?

Your audit management system should offer varying levels of access and allow you as an administrator to customise access depending on the job responsibilities of each employee. This is important as you might have entrusted some of your team leaders to conduct audits, yet, you don’t necessarily want them to have access to personal information on other employees or the ability to change documents someone else has created. Paper-based systems cannot do this, but safety audit software can.

4. Will the system remind me when it’s time for the next audit?

It feels like information overload at times as we are all busy and have so much on our minds. To stay on schedule, we need all the help we can get to remind us.

Look for an audit management system that allows you to set recurring audits and reminds a designated person when it is time to complete the next one.

5. Can I use the audit management software with other safety tools?

Assuming one of your employees is violating the protocol for using a piece of equipment while you’re in the middle of an audit, you can’t remember what they are, but all you can remember is that your company recently modified the procedures. You might have allowed a potential hazard to occur for more than half an hour when you may have to hustle back to the office and dig through the filing cabinet to retrieve your policies and procedures manual. This made it essential that you look for an audit management software that stores all your essential safety documents in one place and allows you to access them during an audit easily.

Conclusion

The key to a safe work environment is to ensure your safety protocols are up to date. A safety audit software makes that easy to do. Contact beakon today if you think your business might benefit from better and more efficient auditing processes, and discuss how our audit software can help your organisation grow stronger and safer. Alternatively, you can take advantage of our free trial here.