How HR Professionals Can Use Technology To Improve Workplace Safety

Managing safety and compliance at the workplace

One of the HR department's key functions is ensuring safety measures are adhered to, if not because of an appreciation of employees, then because it is legally mandated. However, ensuring every workplace is safe can be a monumental task if HR employees do not have some help.
 

Fortunately, several technology tools make monitoring and managing the workspace possible, no matter how large a business the HR rep works.

Here are a few ways technology has made HR pros' jobs easier regarding safety and compliance management.

Finding the Right Candidates

HR will usually oversee at least the "gatekeeper" phase of hiring. Making sure the right employees get brought in for interviews and those that should not get interviewed do not is the entire purpose of that role. It also can be daunting when faced with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of employees.

Sortable databases, quick background checks, training, and education verification online are all technology tools available to HR employees. Most can quickly knock out those that do not qualify while highlighting those prospective employees that deserve an interview.

Hiring technology also helps companies avoid lawsuits. A database of applicants and their resumes or applications takes the emotion out of the hiring process. All an HR pro and those making the hiring decision see are the credentials.

That provides cover legally for those that are rejected for an interview. The rejected prospects cannot claim bias or discrimination because the entire decision was fact-based.

Training Existing and New Employees

Most workplace accidents come down to a lack of training or carelessness. That said, there are a lot of training requirements for the average workplace, especially if part of the workplace has machinery or other ways employees can hurt themselves. Busy supervisors and managers rarely have the time to train employees personally, especially in safety protocols.

E-training takes the task of training employees away from supervisors and managers. Learning online places the responsibility of training on HR and the employee(s) in question. Additionally, HR representatives do not have to spend much time in the classroom overseeing training sessions.

All e-training courses can be designed to test employee knowledge of workplace safety and other job requirements via quizzes and assignments. Most training sessions only require hands-on training for specific activities, like administering CPR or following shutdown procedures. By streamlining the entire training process, managers can focus on specific procedures.

E-training also provides cover to a business legally. An employer can prove an employee was trained before they were injured, did not follow procedures, or was careless in following work processes. It also can document an environment that focuses on workplace safety overall.

Emergency Notifications

Providing staff with emergency panic buttons makes getting the word out about an unsafe environment or threat to safety much simpler. A panic button (sometimes called a Bluetooth alert button, or Bluetooth emergency button,) allows employees to instantly alert security or management of a crisis.

The old process was cumbersome and relied on word of mouth when an emergency was developing. A lot of time was wasted. Giving employees the ability to alert management of a situation quickly saves those vital minutes as an alert works its way through the facility. In some industries, a few minutes can mean employees avoid injury or stay alive.

Another benefit of a Bluetooth emergency system is that your employees can activate it anywhere in a facility. With cell services plus the business' WiFi systems, most workspaces have almost no dead zones. That helps employees get an alert out instantly versus having to find and travel to a panic button or phone.

Monitoring Systems

Technology has allowed employers to monitor their employees visually and physically and work progress online. Multiple types of wearable technology let HR personnel and managers track employees and their activities. Those include several types of monitoring systems.

Vital signs monitoring

Vital sign monitoring devices detect and track heart rate, oxygen levels, etc., which are vital in high-stress situations. Not only can a manager or supervisor track how a person is performing, but they can also tell if they are experiencing environmental or situational factors that might affect their safety. Knowing when an employee is about to be in trouble can save lives in some industries.

Environmental monitors

Environmental monitors track gasses in the workplace, temperatures, particulate presence, etc. In many factories and jobs, being able to tell when a workplace has become dangerous is key to keeping employees safe and avoiding accidents. Additionally, most workplace monitors log data, so an employee's exposure is documented, which can help with treatment.

Tech improved clothing and equipment

Technology has provided many benefits in machine, equipment, and clothing safety. Machines have guards and automated processes. Clothes can help with tasks, such as lifting or regulating body temperature. In both cases, previously or potentially dangerous scenarios can now be avoided.

New technology has not only helped avoid machine-caused injuries, but also reduce repetitive-motion injuries, muscle pulls, strains and tears, and impact-related injuries. Employees can work with confidence because of technology without having to be alert to a potentially hazardous situation.

AI and Automation

Some people complain about automation or AI taking over the workplace and replacing workers, but in most cases, it is a benefit, at least regarding safety and workplace accidents.

Automation might replace some workers, but it also can take on duties that pose safety risks to employees. Having robots perform tasks like lifting heavy objects, welding, or activating machinery has undoubtedly helped avoid certain injuries. HR personnel can relegate risky tasks to robots in some cases and reduce the risk to employees.

AI has provided employees with interactive instruction, training, and oversight, reducing workplace issues. By guiding employees, AI has alleviated the need for HR to micro-manage training processes.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few ways technology has made the work of HR professionals not only easier to perform but easier to manage. Technology is not always the answer, but in HR, for many, it allows personnel to do their jobs effectively.

Author Bio

Yasmine Mustafa is the CEO & Co-Founder of ROAR.