The first step in managing compliance requirements is to know exactly what those requirements are. Occupational health and safety requirements exist in most jurisdictions but might vary and evolve substantially. As such, it is important for an organization’s OHS officer to work closely with counterparts in government, law and internal management to ensure all compliance requirements have been identified.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Legal compliance
- ISO and other industrial standards
- Policies and procedures
- Training
- Incidents and accidents
- Contractors
- Actions taken
(Learn more in Health and Safety Fines Vs. the Cost of Compliance.)
Requirements are then published in a policy statement that identifies the objectives of each, the responsibilities of management and workers to adhere to the policies, and the overall health and safety policy of the organization. There must also be clear guidelines for all work and activities.
(Find out Why Creating a Safety Culture Is Better Than Relying on Compliance.)
The second priority is to fulfill the promises of the policy statements by ensuring there is:
- Sufficient time, money, and personnel
- Appropriate training and certification for employees
- Up-to-date and ongoing health and safety information available, ideally in a single document and accessible to everyone
The easiest and most practical way to manage compliance requirements is through the use of a cloud-based app. The benefits are numerous:
- Preparation of legal registers and other compliance documentation using automated and intelligent processes
- Incident and accident reporting available via mobile devices from on-site
- Data analysis, including identification of trends
- Full and easy audits and reporting
- Tracking/Reporting of non-conformance issues and ISO requirements
- Managing records of work performed, contractors, and training
- Automated documentation, scheduling and, reminders for full oversight
- Maintenance and upgrade of the app through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) third party provider eliminates the expense of manual maintenance
Compliance requirements management is a time-intensive part of any operation, but it is also necessary and in many cases compulsory. This is why it is now best achieved through cloud-based data management technology.