Understanding the Significance of EHS Software in Manufacturing
The Role of EHS in Manufacturing
Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) software is a solution used by manufacturing companies to identify EHS risks and compliance management. Manufacturing facilities can manage risk management and regulatory compliance, track the use and storage of hazardous materials, and manage workplace incidents and safety regulations.
Companies in the manufacturing industry will use EHS software to ensure workplace safety and monitor manufacturing processes to confirm regulatory compliance. EHS management software can include various functions to monitor safety management, waste management, and audit management.
The Importance of Compliance in Manufacturing
Based on their industry, manufacturing companies must follow local, state, and federal regulations to remain in compliance with the law. These compliance regulations are in place to ensure a safe workplace, minimize environmental impact, and identify potential hazards. By using EHS software, manufacturers can monitor this information and generate reports showing they are in compliance, reducing the amount of manual work required by upper management.
Technological Advancements in EHS Software
EHS software is constantly evolving as new technology finds its way into the manufacturing industry. A few examples include the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. These technologies drive innovation in EHS software, allowing data and predictive analytics, automating administrative processes, and notifications when the data identifies potential risks.
Access to mobile technology is another advancement in EHS software that has benefited manufacturing companies. By offering a mobile application, companies can use the software throughout manufacturing facilities. This makes it easier to perform inspections, maintain compliance, and report incidents in real time.
Key Features of EHS Software in Manufacturing
When building a custom EHS software solution, manufacturers can create features that are unique to their company. However, there are three common features that are essential to the function of EHS software.
Incident Tracking and Reporting
Incident management is an essential factor of a manufacturing company, as it simplifies employee safety protocols. Manufacturers can use EHS software to identify safety risks and workplace hazards, submit and manage incident reports, and analyze historical data to implement necessary safety processes.
Using health and safety software to manage incident reporting will streamline the process, allowing employees to enter the report into a system that managers and HR can access immediately. Users can enter updates in the report, including doctors’ notes and insurance claims, storing all of the important information in a single location.
Risk Assessment and Management
Risk assessment and management are crucial for manufacturing companies, creating a single source for risk assessments on workplace hazards and risk management plans. Manufacturers must identify potential risks and create plans to prevent and mitigate risks to protect the company and its employees.
By managing these processes in an EHS software solution, manufacturers can access and enact the established plans as soon as the risk is identified.
Training and Awareness Modules
Ongoing training and continuous improvement are key factors in reducing employee injuries and incidents. Through training programs, manufacturers can remind employees of safety practices and the proper way to use equipment.
Training management in an EHS software solution can include a training dashboard for employees that includes upcoming deadlines and sends notifications to ensure employees are in compliance with training requirements. Managers and HR can also utilize dashboards to monitor employees who have not completed training, allowing them to follow up easily.
Benefits of Implementing EHS Software in Manufacturing
Now that we have reviewed the key features of EHS software, let’s take a look at just a few of the benefits manufacturing companies can experience when using EHS software.
Increasing Efficiency and Reducing Risks
Using an EHS software solution can increase operational efficiency and reduce the risks employees face on a daily basis. EHS software provides a centralized location for data management and the ability to automate administrative tasks. Both of these will improve efficiency and allow managers to focus on areas for improvement and innovative solutions.
EHS software also improves risk management by tracking historical incidents and identifying trends and potential risks to keep an eye on. Additionally, notifications can be set up in EHS software to notify users when certain thresholds are met, prompting users to take action before an incident occurs.
Promoting Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability
EHS software will help a manufacturing company promote health, safety, and environmental sustainability through various functions and reporting capabilities. Manufacturers can track carbon emissions, water consumption, and energy usage and generate reports based on the data collected, allowing them to report on current numbers and identify future goals.
Additionally, companies can keep track of environmental permits and their expiration dates to ensure they are in good standing and don’t have to pay penalty fees.
Facilitating Compliance Tracking and Reporting
EHS software supports manufacturers in tracking regulatory compliance and generating the necessary reports. Some of the compliance features available in EHS software include notifications for upcoming deadlines, real-time updates to regulatory compliance changes, and building complaince reports required for inspections and audits.
With an EHS management software solution, manufacturing companies can lower the risk of regulatory violations, reducing the number of fines and leading to significant cost savings.
How Geneca Can Help
If your manufacturing company is ready to take the next step and build a custom EHS software solution to improve operational safety, compliance, and efficiency, contact Geneca today! Our software development team is ready to take on your project and become your long-term software development partner.