Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Ossian Muscad
With the growing trend towards digitization, an often overlooked front is the workplace safety sector. Particularly, the role and impact of digital safety inspections in the onboarding process for new employees are crucial. The latest statistics from the Bureau of Labor Services indicate that nearly 30% of injuries in the past two years occurred among workers on the job for less than a year.
Companies are gleaning insights from digital safety inspections to address this alarming trend, which provides a robust mechanism to identify unsafe behaviors and conditions. By prioritizing the implementation of these inspections, employers can considerably reduce the risks faced by newly inducted workers, ensuring their well-being while maintaining productivity.
What are Digital Safety Inspections?
Digital Safety Inspections are a modern approach to workplace safety that leverages technology to assess and manage potential hazards. They involve using digital tools and software to conduct comprehensive safety checks across the workplace, documenting any discrepancies and areas of improvement.
These inspections provide a clear, organized, and real-time view of a company’s safety protocols, allowing prompt action to address deficiencies. By utilizing a digital format, these inspections not only streamline the procedural aspects but also promote a culture of safety by ensuring every detail is thoroughly inspected and addressed.
Moreover, they facilitate the easy sharing of inspection results with all relevant stakeholders, promoting transparency and accountability. Through digital safety inspections, employers can actively protect new employees, providing them with a safer and more secure working environment.
Why New Employees Are at Great Risk
New employees are particularly vulnerable to workplace accidents for several reasons.
Unfamiliarity with the Process
New workers, often unfamiliar with the working processes and environment, find navigating the inherent risks associated with their roles challenging. The lack of experience and exposure can lead to accidents due to an inability to foresee potential hazards.
New to Your Plant
A new employee may find adjusting to a plant’s specific operational methods and safety procedures difficult. The unique layout, machinery, and equipment can present unforeseen obstacles and risks. In addition, new workers may face challenges in familiarizing themselves with the standard operating procedures and protocols.
Hesitancy to Speak Up
Newcomers may hesitate to voice their safety concerns, fearing appearing incompetent or risking their newly secured jobs. This silence can prevent the resolution of safety issues in the early stages. At the same time, it may foster a culture of complacency that can lead to more significant safety issues.
Less Training
Although employers provide training to new employees, the time and depth of that training may not be sufficient to thoroughly cover all potential hazards or risks. Consequently, lacking comprehensive training may leave new employees vulnerable to accidents.
Rapid Workflow Changes
Workplace practices and safety protocols can change rapidly, particularly in industries with innovative or evolving technologies. New employees may find it challenging to keep up with these fast-paced changes, leading to a heightened risk of accidents.
How Digital Safety Inspections Help Protect New Workers?
Digital safety inspections play a pivotal role in addressing these issues by providing a real-time view of workplace safety, enabling quick action to rectify any identified risks. By integrating these inspections into the onboarding process, companies can foster a safety-centric culture from the start, reducing the risk of injury among their newest team members.
Enhance Training Programs with Digital Safety Inspections
Digital safety inspections can be a valuable educational tool for new employees, helping them understand the safety protocols and potential hazards in their new workplace. By integrating these inspections into training programs, companies can provide hands-on learning experiences that foster a deeper understanding of safety procedures.
Regular and Thorough Inspections
Conducting regular digital safety inspections can help identify any unsafe behaviors or conditions before they result in accidents. These inspections allow for a systematic review of the workplace, ensuring every detail is accounted for, including those that may be overlooked in traditional inspections. This level of thoroughness is particularly beneficial for new workers who may not yet be able to fully identify risks.
Encourage Open Communication
By regularly sharing the results of digital safety inspections with all workers, companies can promote open and transparent communication about safety matters. This can help new employees feel more comfortable voicing their concerns and asking questions, improving the safety culture.
Immediate Action on Safety Concerns
The real-time data gathered from digital safety inspections allows immediate action in addressing safety issues. This swift response can deter risky behaviors, reducing the chances of accidents, particularly among new employees.
Continuous Improvement of Safety Measures
The data collected through digital safety inspections provides a wealth of information that can be analyzed to identify trends and patterns in safety issues. This can lead to continuous improvement of safety protocols, benefitting not just new employees but the entire workforce.
Conduct Digital Safety Inspections Using a Low-code Platform
Low-code platforms are an efficient way to conduct digital safety inspections. They simplify the creation of digital inspection checklists, making them more accessible for everyone involved.
User-Friendly Interface
With their intuitive and user-friendly interfaces, low-code platforms make it easy for anyone to create and manage digital safety inspections, regardless of their technical proficiency. This inclusivity ensures that all new or seasoned workers can actively participate in safety measures.
Customizable Inspection Templates
Low-code platforms also offer customizable inspection templates. Companies can tailor these templates to match their specific safety protocols, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of all potential hazards.
Real-Time Data Collection and Analysis
Low-code platforms facilitate real-time data collection and analysis. This capability allows for a quick response to safety issues, minimizing the risk of accidents. The data collected can also be used for trend analysis, helping companies continuously improve their safety measures.
Collaborative Work Environment
The collaborative environment supported by low-code platforms encourages open communication among workers. They can share their findings, discuss safety issues, and contribute to resolving identified risks.
Seamless Integration with Other Systems
Lastly, low-code platforms typically offer seamless integration with other systems used within the company. This feature allows for efficient data management and promotes a cohesive approach to safety inspections.
Using low-code platforms for digital safety inspections simplifies the process and enhances its effectiveness, providing a safer work environment for all, especially new workers.
Keep New Employees Safe with DATAMYTE
DATAMYTE is a quality management platform with low-code capabilities. Our Digital Clipboard is a low-code workflow automation software with a built-in workflow, checklist, and smart form builder. This feature and its drag-and-drop interface allow you to create any checklist and form template you need, including digital safety inspections, without coding experience.
DATAMYTE also lets you conduct layered process audits, a systematic review of critical process steps. This auditing method focuses on the areas with the highest risk of failure or noncompliance. By conducting LPA using DATAMYTE, you can effectively identify and correct defects before they escalate.
With DATAMYTE, you have the perfect solution for streamlining your digital safety inspections and ensuring a safe work environment for all, especially new workers. Book a demo today to learn more.
Conclusion
Digital safety inspections are indispensable in fostering a safe work environment, especially for new employees. They enable real-time identification and rectification of risks, enhancing overall workplace safety. By integrating these inspections with low-code platforms, companies can simplify the inspection process and continuously improve safety measures.
