EHS Management Software

"EHS" stands for Environment, Health & Safety. For the industrial sectors that include manufacturing, construction, mining, energy, pharmaceuticals, and utilities, etc., safety within the work environment and the health of their workers becomes the prime concern. Also, these types of industries and manufacturing units hold responsibility towards the global environment and are required to comply with the EHS regulations set by their local Government. Ensuring that the right processes have been implemented for the health and safety of the workers and proper rules are being followed simultaneously becomes complicated without a systematic EHS management system in place. 

This comprehensive guide can help you in selecting the best EHS management software, enabling you to maintain a safe working environment, protect your workers from accidents & hazards, and comply with mandatory EHS rules as per the legal requirements. Let's begin with what exactly is EHS management and why it is important, and then, an in-depth analyst about EHS systems.

Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) management is a practice that focuses on identifying hazards, evaluating, and controlling work-related risks. When practiced well, EHS management enables any organization to predict and prevent circumstances that can result in occupational injury, ill health, or severe environmental impact. It includes planning and implementation of EHS processes and practices in a specific manner to achieve high-end security for the workers and environmental efficiency. Effective EHS management encapsulates evaluating results of the safety programs implemented, and planning of the EHS strategies for the future.

Protects Environment

EHS management enables organizations to conduct their manufacturing and other processes in an environment-friendly way. EHS managers ensure that the predefined laws for protecting environmental resources are being followed strictly.

Protects Employees

If the employees of a company are not healthy and safe, the business cannot sustain and grow. EHS management includes the task of setting EHS policies considering the workers' rights and health & safety and making sure that those policies are being followed within the organization. EHS management also notifies and alerts everyone working in the organization about the instances that can cause danger to the health and safety of the workers. The laws relating to EHS in different countries may vary, but the goal is the same - fulfilling the responsibility of keeping the workers safe at work.

Thus, EHS management is important because it helps organizations to follow a systematic approach towards fulfilling their corporate responsibility towards their employees and saving environmental resources for the citizens.

Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) management software is a computer application that helps business organizations to automate and manage their health & safety programs systematically. It also enables the companies to stay compliant with the Government regulations, protect the workers, maintain a safe workplace and save the global environment. The use of EHS software has helped organizations raise their standards in terms of safety awareness and health management. It also helps in engaging the workforce and makes them feel secure while working in an organization that follows legit health and safety procedures. Below are some key functions that an health and safety software performs -

• Analyzing, Investigating, and forecasting job hazards and accidental incidents
• Managing and monitoring health & safety programs
• Organizing training for workers relating to environmental and health safety
• Ensuring EHS regulatory compliance
• Administrating safety committees
• Generating reports that display EHS key indicators

Incident Reporting

Informing about the hazards, accidents, and other unforeseen conditions to the workers, supervisors, and the concerned departments on an instant basis is essential for any EHS system. The EHS management system enables you to report incidents that can jeopardize the lives of the workers or harm the workplace environment on an immediate basis and helps the teams collaborate to speed up the entire remedial process.

Safety Programs Management

Executing the right safety programs while your workers are on the job is important for their health and wellness. Health and safety software enables you to identify and analyze dangers or any non-compliant processes running in the workplace. It allows you to create checklists, schedule inspections at a regular interval empowering you to implement efficient safety programs and procedures.  

Acquiring Authorizations and Permits

For conducting certain operations, carrying out procedures, managing projects, or manufacturing products, you need to have specific permits and authorizations from statutory and legal authorities. EHS software provides you the information that helps in gaining permits for initiating work operations with enhanced clarity, control, and security.

Forecasting Hazards and Risks

Forecasting hazards and risks in advance can help you prevent your workplace and workers from damages. Often, the accidents in the industrial premises are highly dangerous that can even risk the lives of the people working there. The EHS software allows you to regularly monitor the processes running within your organization, enabling you to maintain a safe working environment for your workers.

Step 1:

Safety management software collects all your data, including permits, safety program details, and other documents, and stores them in a centralized database. It can also import data from other applications you are currently using for managing your production and finance. 

Step 2:

EHS management software organizes and displays all the information collected through intuitive dashboards, making it easy for the users to understand the company's performance in terms of safety programs and also allows them to share with concerned departments and employees.

Step 3:

Health & safety management software sends automated notifications and alerts required to follow up on certain critical tasks and inform the users to avoid hazards and accidents.

Step 4:

EHS management software generates analytical reports providing clear visibility over safety programs' performance with a futuristic approach, allowing business organizations to make proactive decisions.

The health and safety software performs the below-mentioned functions that help business organizations maintain health & safety standards within their premises.

Health & Safety Monitoring

Health & safety management software records the current metrics relating to the workers' health and hygiene being maintained within your organization. Based on these records, you can gauge whether your workers' health condition and environment meet your industry standards and requirements or not.

Risk Evaluation

The risk evaluation feature of health & safety management software allows the users to track and prevent the risks relating to the organization's processes. Based on the risk evaluation data collected, you can then conduct informative sessions and seminars to educate your employees about safe methods to follow while working.

Preventive Action Plans

Health and safety software allows you to create preventive action plans based on the health & safety monitoring and risk evaluation metrics, EHS key indicators, and incidents that happened in the past in your workplace or other organizations.

Centralized Information

EHS management software stores documents, tasks, and certifications relating to safety standards and measures in a centralized location. This keeps everyone in the organization aware of the accurate guidelines and changes in rules and regulations on a real-time basis. 

Customizable Dashboards

Health & safety management software includes customizable dashboards that provide clear visibility over the company's performance relating to EHS metrics to all the users and allows them to share that information easily with the authorized personnel and departments.

Notifications and Alerts

EHS management software automates sending notifications and alerts in case of any changes in rules and regulations relating to safety standards implemented within the company or any occurrences within the company that require immediate attention and action.

Analytical Reports

EHS management software can generate reports that help in evaluating risks and monitoring the performance and trends of safety programs. This helps EHS managers and leaders to make proactive decisions that can protect employees and the environment from dangers and benefit the business.

Having a safe working environment and healthy workforce is the key to the success of any business. EHS systems help the companies to follow a systematic approach while conducting safety programs and implementing risk-free working practices that align with the local and international standards set by the industry and Government. 

As per a recent report - the EHS software market is likely to report a growth in CAGR of 12.3% from 2021 to 2026 globally. This means that the use of environmental management software is becoming an integral part of organizations these days as it drives transformation in operational excellence and contributes to reducing uncertainties in the business.

Earlier companies used to manage their EHS records manually using registers and spreadsheets. That made it difficult for the employees to locate the EHS data and take preventative measures on time, resulting in accidents that risked the life of the workers or occurrences that spoil the environment. 

On the contrary, safety management software is helping the business organizations to overcome these drawbacks by empowering them with clear visibility about the company's entire risk profile and everything that is happening within their premises on a real-time basis so that they can prevent accidents, disasters, and instances that harm the environment & workers.

To elaborate further, below mentioned are some prominent benefits of EHS management software -

Streamlines Data Management & Reporting

With the help of EHS solutions, you can import the data from other applications, automate the data entry process, centralize the information, and generate reports instantly. This makes it easy for you to collaborate and take preventative measures at the right time.

Enhances Productivity

Environmental management software can help in automating the report generation, sending alerts & notifications, integrating with the applications used for various processes within the organization, and this can result in getting more tasks done in less time, ultimately enhancing productivity and lowering costs.

Improves Safety Standards

The dynamic dashboards and automated notifications and alerts provided by safety management software help all the workers, employees, and managers to remain informed about the EHS key-metrics on a real-time basis and thus allows staying ahead in terms of maintaining safety standards.

Strengthens Decision Making

Right decision-making becomes easier with access to accurate data and information. EHS software provides access to analytical reports depicting real-time figures on your fingertips at any time allowing you to make quick and informed decisions. 

Executes Intelligent Processes

The EHS software helps in executing intelligent processes by automating the task of sending reminders to the EHS managers about permit expiry dates and need-to-know employees about the instances that can trigger accidents or hazards within the workplace, therefore enabling you to protect your business from losses and enhance its performance.

When it comes to selecting the type of EHS software - there can be different options based on deployment, pricing and functionality as explained below -

Deployment

On-Premise EHS Management Software

On-premise EHS management software can be deployed on your server and requires in-house technical infrastructure and staff to maintain and update it. In this type of EHS compliance software deployment, you gain more control over your data but can prove expensive in the long run due to its upgrades, maintenance, and customizations.

Cloud-Based EHS Management Software

Cloud-based EHS software, also known as SaaS-based EHS software, is installed on the software vendor's server and so you can instantly start using it after subscribing without worrying about its deployment, upgradation, and maintenance. This type of software offers high-level flexibility allowing users to access and use it from any remote location.

The cloud-based EHS management software is convenient and proves to be less expensive than on-premise software. But, when it comes to larger organizations, they require more control over the data and would not prefer it to be stored and managed on 3rd party servers. Precisely, the choice of the deployment of EHS compliance software depends on your business organization's size and technical capabilities.

Functionality

Off-The-Shelf EHS Management Software

Several EHS management tools are available with readymade features and can be quickly executed within your EHS management process. But, a readymade EHS compliance software might not suffice your requirements if your requirements are industry-specific. In that case, you need a customized EHS management system that works as per your EHS management policies & procedures.

Customizable EHS Management Software

Customizable management software includes features that allow you to meet your unique EHS challenges and operating standards, making sure that it is compatible with your technical capabilities and business processes. If you are looking for custom EHS systems, you can get free and opensource EHS management software deployed at a minimum investment.

The cost of EHS management software would depend on various factors like the type of software you choose, the number of users that would be using the software, and its features. If you plan to purchase cloud-based EHS management software, you just need to pay the subscription price. Whereas the price of an on-premise EHS software would include:

• Development costs
• Investing in technical infrastructure & resources
• Ongoing charges for maintenance & upgrades

The subscription price of cloud-based EHS management software can start from $3/month to $300/month. For example, EHS Insight is available for $3/month, Cooling can cost you $14 per month, Forms on Fire is for $20/month, myComply is for $99/month, and Lighthouse HSE is for $300/month. Depending on your budget and functionality needs, you can select one. If you are not comfortable with a monthly subscription, you can go for Papertrail that can cost you $81.45/year, or EHSHELON that is available for $5000 one-time charges. We would recommend you go for a free trial or a demo of the EHS software before purchasing it. For example, EHS Hero offers a 14 days free trial period, and Zerite offers a 30 days free trial period. 

If you are looking for a free EHS management software, you can consider iAuditor or SafetyCloud as having a free version with limited features. Also, you can go for free and opensource EHS management software if you require an on-premise and customizable EHS management system.

Bottomline - Buying a cheap EHS management software can prove to be an expensive mistake for your business if it doesn't get the results you need. At the same time, an expensive EHS management software can become an unnecessary investment for you if it includes features that you are not using. So, just make sure that you select EHS management software that meets your exact requirements and can help you achieve your safety and financial goals.

Regardless of the price tag, the businesses prefer buying EHS software that can add value to their processes and help them earn high returns on their investment. So, let's have a look at some qualities of EHS software that can enable you to achieve your financial goals too. 

EHS management software helps in -

• Improving safety culture
• Executing organized and streamlined safety operations
• Maintaining compliance with Government rules and regulations
• Taking proactive actions that can mitigate unforeseen accidents and disasters

All the above qualities in an EHS compliance software ultimately would lead to reduced damages and wastages within your organization, resulting in increased ROI and growth of the business.

To select the best EHS system, you need to consider the below-mentioned factors -

Robust Features - The EHS platform you choose should include features that are easy to use and robust at the same time to help you achieve your safety and business goals.

Customization - The safety management system software you select should allow you to customize the interface and functionality as per your business preferences.

Scalability - The EHS software you choose should be scalable enough to meet your business organization's evolving demands.

Integrations - To find everything you need in a single software application is difficult. If you need to perform all EHS functions from a single interface, you need to make sure that your EHS software integrates seamlessly with other applications you use for managing the inventory of chemicals, recruiting new workers, etc.

Price - Make sure that the EHS software you are planning to purchase doesn't come with any hidden costs, and you are paying exactly for what you need.

Usability - The EHS software you select should be easy to deploy and use as it would result in greater participation in your safety programs.

Mobility - Reporting the incidents from the place of occurrence is very important to take proactive actions, and so your EHS software is required to be compatible with any device and platform.

Technical Support - You are likely to face technical issues even after getting the best EHS solution deployed in your organization. Make sure that your EHS system vendor provides proactive technical support to avoid downtimes.

For selecting the right EHS system, it becomes significant to be aware of what is new and upcoming in this industry. Here, we have compiled a list of the latest trends in EHS software that can take your organization's safety culture to the next level.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can improve workplace safety by analyzing data from wearable devices or deploying smart machines to detect dangers within the working environment. For example, AI can help detect workers' presence without gloves or workers working around a location that is prone to accidents. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with safety management system software can help in reducing risks within the workplace.

Machine Learning

Machine Learning allows collecting, sharing, analyzing, and correlating data that makes it easy for organizations to come up with conclusions and informed decisions relating to risks, injuries, air emissions, waste, water use, sewerage, etc. The environmental management software with ML features can enhance the quality of data generated, resulting in better decision making and ensuring the safety of the workers and the environment.

Cloud-Based Accessibility

EHS managers these days are looking forward to using cloud-based EHS solutions because it allows you to access data and take required action from any remote location. So, it doesn't matter where your workers are working; the cloud-based accessibility provided by EHS software can help you ensure your workers' safety and mitigate compliance issues.

Chatbots

Using chatbots inbuilt in health & safety management software, the workers can immediately report the incidents to supervisors and managers. Simultaneously, the environmental management software chatbots can instantly record the incident and its details in its database for future reference and remedial actions.

Selecting the best EHS solution can be an elaborate process, especially when there are many options available and all claiming to be the best. The experts at GoodFirms have exclusively come up with some of the best EHS management software after in-depth research and analysis to ease your selection process. 

• GoodFirms is one of the leading research and review platforms following diligent research and methodological approach while shortlisting the software and services.
• GoodFirms equips buyers with insightful information about more than 60K software products and services with 30K reviews given by verified users.
• GoodFirms updates and adds information about new and emerging software products and solutions consistently, allowing you to select the one that can help you set new benchmarks.

Good employers know that a healthy workforce is the backbone of their business. EHS management can help prevent your employees from getting exposed to risk every day and establish a strong safety culture. But, if EHS management strategies fail, it can be a disaster in terms of loss of lives and business reputation. So, it becomes inevitable to use the right tools and techniques to help you implement the best EHS practices and safety programs. 

Finally, considering the below checklist becomes significant for selecting the best EHS Software compatible to your industry and business size -

• Is this tool easy to use by non-technical users?
• Is this system customizable as per your industry-specific requirements?
• Is this software secure enough to maintain the confidentiality of your data?
• Does this tool include features that suit your business workflow?
• Is this tool built using the latest technology?
• Is this tool capable of scaling with your business
• Does the vendor of this software provide quick customer support facilities?