Health and safety management systems

After years of using different stand alone PC based software for HS&E management and ultimately getting frustrated (obviously I am being polite here) I managed to persuade the board of Directors that we want a system that can help Achieve:

• BS 8800:2004 (Health and Safety Management Guidance Standard) • BS EN ISO 9001:2000, (Quality Management standard) • BS EN ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management standard) • BS OSHAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management standard) • ILO OSH: 2001 (Guidelines on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) • CIA Responsible Care Management System Framework

Now it is not a small task to plan and implement all of the above systems that are required to help achieve good health safety and environmental practices, risk assessments, actions, training etc.

It took a while to get the board of directors on side, however I did get them on side (The most important part of a health and safety adviser role... Give excellent Health and Safety Advice that improves the business and its bottom line).

I talked with the IT department who told me it would take three programmers at least three years to do what I wanted. "Wow I did not think it was that complicated," so, with the help of the IT director we brought in a number of system providers, seven to be precise, two of which came out looking good. I then ran a trial for a full six months. Yes you got it... six months on two fast production manufacturing sites, and do you know what I was amazed at? The reduction in incidents. This was due to the concentrated efforts of the management utilizing the health and safety management system. One of the sites, our worst performing site for the past three years, went into second place. Running with the system made a cost saving at site of approx 400k. Now that is good, however now I needed to put the system into 7 other sites within a year it was a big job but the company who provided the system were excellent, they employed HS&E professionals who understood the operational requirements and the practical implementation of Health Safety and Environmental Systems.

There is one thing you must take into consideration, do not be fooled by the basic systems and the added value systems designed for something else other than Health Safety and the Environment. They are out there in abundance. Do your due diligence and purchase, lease or hire the one that makes the difference.