Risk & Compliance
“If you think compliance is expensive, try noncompliance.”
- Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty
A Paperless Office?
A paperless office is a worthy and achievable goal, but nearly impossible to implement if you work in an industrial or heavy con- struction setting where both workers and job sites change on a regular basis. Forms and the subsequent signatures for equipment inspection, safety audits, JHA/JSA sheets, Tool Box Safety Talks can be generated and recorded on electronic devices. However the cost associated with providing a device (iPads, iPhones, laptops, etc…) and then the necessary training for each employee who is required to maintain some type of document is not only prohibitive, but nearly impossible in some areas. Hazardous environments (e.g. refineries, petrochemical, etc…) often times place restrictions on where electronic devices can be used. For this reason alone, the old fashion pencil and paper method may be the only option. This does not mean that you must give up the ability to securely store, archive, and quickly access these paper documents. This is where the digital document management and retrieval services of Commonwealth Safety can help!
Fast Access to Secure Files
Paper files can be locked in a cabinet or room located in your main office, but how do you ensure the security of those that are kept at a remote job site or limit access to certain individuals? Our solution requires a secure authentication and password to access your files and you can assign individual rights to limit the types of files that may be accessed. Using only your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome) that you use to connect to the internet, you can access all of your files and are able to retrieve, view, print and share documents in a matter of seconds.
Auditing – An Essential Component to Quality Assurance.
To protect your business from compliance violations, it’s essential that you have the ability to track and report which users viewed, annotated or deleted a document. Simply scanning documents onto a server or filing images in encrypted folders won’t do – you need a comprehensive document management system that provides user or document tracking and reporting.
Quality assurance in safety requires that documents such as safety plans, JSA/JHA sheets, safety reports and the like are frequently audited to ensure that they are complete and appropriate. How much time does it take to either visit each site or have these documents separated, copied and sent in for review? Can you even be sure that all relevant documents are at your disposal to audit? Auditing job site safety documents has never been an easy task- until now.
A centralized document management system helps streamline any potential needs that may stem from audits or litigation (e-discovery) and limits the possibility of missing documents, which could expose your company to fines or judgments. A well-maintained document management system can offset considerable legal discovery and audit costs by making relevant business records readily available.
Reduced Duplication of Labor
The cost and time involved with developing plans, safe work procedures, JHA/JSA sheets and other documentation required for an effective safety program is significant. If you have multiple job sites operating as “mini-departments”, all generating their own, but duplicate documentation for similar work, you are leaving profit on the table. Do you have a job or offer a service where the tasks are similar, but are performed by different individuals who each develop/generate their own paperwork? Would having the ability to quickly type in a few key words and pull up a document that has been previously developed save time and money while possibly identifying additional concerns be beneficial? You bet! CSI can make it happen.
Summary of what CSI’s online document management can do for you?
- Documents are safe, secure and readily accessible via an internet connection
- Improve customer service by accessing the file you need, when you need it
- Increase the effectiveness of your safety department and job functions
- Reduce operating expenses
- Minimize redundant tasks. Share original paper files anywhere, anytime
- Maximize office space (no more file cabinets)
- Better meet records retention and privacy regulations
- Save paper (and the planet)
… all without the hassle and expense of software, in-house systems or additional IT staff
