Every work place must account for the work equipment its employees use. Whether it is heavy industrial equipment, a stepladder or a desktop computer, this equipment can pose risks to health and safety.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) requires that we address these hazards. Risk assessments must be conducted and systems must be in place to ensure safe installation and use of everything employees use.
We must have controls and we must be able to demonstrate compliance. Things like systems of inspection must be in place, recorded and the records must be kept.
This can all be challenging and costly, particularly for workplaces that involve a large variety of equipment. Depending on paper forms and a staff member remembering to conduct a safety check can also expose us to added risk.
Fortunately, there is technology available that ensures we are meeting our legal and moral obligations, and easily maintains evidence so that we can prove it.
Human Focus’ digital checklists for mandatory work equipment inspections do just this. They reduce both the hassle and cost of completing mandatory equipment inspections and audits.
Digital Checklists in ESG Ltd
Take as an example one Human Focus client, ESG Ltd, who are using this facility to do all of their mandatory work equipment inspections. According to Lee Cowlbeck, ESG Health & Safety Director, this has revolutionised the way ESG Ltd demonstrates compliance.
Given their flexibility, the list of health and safety areas that e-Checklists are able to cover for the company are vast. As a start, this includes things like PUWER checks, PUWER inspections, LOLER Inspections, and general supervisor management inspections.
How Do E-Checklists for Mandatory Equipment Inspections Help
The entire process of conducting mandatory equipment inspections is streamlined with the use of digital checklists. This system reduces the chance of human error, as well as ensures tracking and recording of every task. This means you can ensure people are doing it and that you have a record that it was done.
The benefits include:
Shop Floor Access
Cloud and QR code systems provide fast access to everything employees need, where the work takes place. Visual reminders and data links are placed directly on the equipment itself. Anyone can then instantly access detailed risk assessments and inspection information from the shop floor.
Seamless Integration
Organisation and site-specific health and safety resources, such as paper forms, digital documents and videos, can be uploaded onto the system, where they are provided when they are needed to staff directly through the app.
Photo & Video Evidence
Equipment performance and faults, safety controls in practice and employee demonstrations are essential to knowing how your systems are working and proving that they do. The digital checklist allows employees or managers to photograph and record and upload, so it is all on hand.
Action Problem Resolution
A significant challenge for any organisation is not knowing what has gone wrong, but doing something about it. E-Checklists provide that clear path from identifying an issue, to establishing the solution and confirming that it is actioned.
Scheduling & Alerting
Busy schedules and interruptions are no longer a cause or an excuse for completing health and safety inspections and ensuring compliance. The application provides an easy-to-use framework for planning what needs to be done, letting others know to do it and informing you that it is complete.
Extensive Library of Ready to Use Tools
The Human Focus library offers a range of digital tools that can immediately integrated into your health and safety management. Risk assessments, inspection forms and documents are available and easy to use. If you can’t find what you are looking for, it is no problem to convert and upload your own inspection checklist or create or modify as needed.
Training Resources
Human Focus also can provide a wide range of online health and safety training, covering topics such as PUWER, near miss reporting and risk assessment. E-Learning for specific hazards such as confined space training and working at heights training online is also available.
Transform Risk Assessments
According to Lee Cowlbeck of ESG Ltd, Human Focus digital checklists has streamlined the entire risk assessment process. It allows them to schedule the inspections and assign specific tasks to the right competent people. If inspections are carried out, his team are notified immediately.
This has given him the confidence to know that he is genuinely, safely and correctly carrying out asset inspections. These are not being carried out in an office away from the office as just a box ticking exercise. It is being done on-site and they have the evidence to prove it.
Learn More
If you would like to explore how the Human Focus online health and safety system can assist your organisation, including a demonstration, please get in touch here
