F E AT U R E Three Ways Technology Helps Small Businesses Improve Safety and Compliance by Jessica Meno, Writer
Staying safe and compliant is the top priority on any construction site. From potential falls to electrical hazards, there are many protections you need to put in place to keep workers safe—not to mention all the new safety risks and protocols added for COVID‑19. How can you best ensure (and prove) your crews are following the necessary safety precautions without putting an excess drain on your resources? Proper documentation that can help streamline your processes at the same time is key, especially for small businesses. Here are three ways you can improve safety and compliance using technology. 1. Make it easy for the field to provide daily updates By providing data straight from the field, daily reports are one of your best sources of visibility into your projects, as they cover everything from work completed and materials used to weather conditions. It’s no secret that daily reports are crucial for running more efficient projects. After all, the more you know about what’s going on at the jobsite, the better you can support it. But when daily reports aren’t filled out completely (or correctly), it’s difficult to know when incidents or potential risks occur on a project. Better daily reports and daily updates start with the field. By making it easy for your crews to complete and send them quickly, you’ll get them home faster—and get cleaner, more accurate data. A point solution for daily reporting like Raken lets your crews write notes and upload photos and videos as they walk the jobsite. Then, once they sign off their dailies, you’ll get a PDF with all the info you need to increase compliance. Plus, you can see any notes and updates in a real-time insights dashboard. More visibility, less paper shuffling. 2. Digitize custom safety checklists One of the best ways to improve
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safety documentation is by filling out construction safety checklists. These checklists make sure your workers are meeting safety and health protocols in the field. The process for checklists usually goes like this: • The office sends a form to the field. • The field prints it out and completes it on the site. • The field scans it and sends it back to the office. • The office reviews the completed checklists to ensure high compliance and quality. Pen and paper is the historical tried-andtrue way in construction, but it takes more time and effort for everyone to track. Plus, if checklists are missing information—or not filled out correctly—it’ll take even more time to complete the big picture. And when it comes time to find the documentation, digging through papers and binders isn’t ideal. Instead, give your workers the power to create and complete digital checklists from their mobile devices. When things come up on the jobsite, they’ll have the tools they need to update you. And, the easier it is to fill out a daily safety or inspection checklist, the more likely it is they’ll complete it. Having employees use a customizable digital checklist is more flexible for your specific needs, too. When it comes to storing your completed checklists, consider a cloud solution. That way, you have everything in one (digital) place—and can easily find the documentation you need, across all your projects, when you need it. 3. Bring toolbox talks to the cloud Toolbox talks are an important way to help promote a culture of safety throughout your company. They educate and refresh your crews on important safety topics like jobsite hazards and precautions— and ensure everyone is informed and committed to keeping safety top-of-mind.
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Toolbox talks are an essential part of safety documentation to help you maintain compliance, and prove your teams are following the necessary protocols. And like checklists, they can be even easier and more efficient when made digital. Raken makes it easy to upload your safety topics and bulk schedule them from the office. You can even choose from our library of pre-uploaded talks—ranging from chainsaw safety to fall prevention. Once your crews attend, they can digitally sign the completed toolbox talk and it’s stored directly in Raken. By uploading your toolbox talks and safety data to the cloud, you can see all your safety records at a glance. Then, you can quickly search and locate them as documented proof whenever you need to— without having to remember where exactly you put a loose form. Better safety documentation, less wasted resources Especially now, small businesses can get ahead of the construction industry by embracing technology to streamline processes. At first, it may seem easy to shy away from change. But when it comes to safety and compliance, businesses should do whatever they can to keep their workers safe—and make it easy to document any and all proactive measures.
About the Author Jessica Meno is a writer for Raken, the cloud-based software that was built to connect the field to the office. Raken helps boost productivity and safety by streamlining workflow processes such as daily reporting, time cards, production tracking, and safety management. Start improving your jobsite safety and documentation today by scheduling a demo with Raken (it even comes with a 15-day free trial).
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