According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), an average of 6,000 people die every day due to work-related accidents or diseases, amounting to 2.2 million deaths worldwide each year. As a result, 4% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is lost. To prevent these work-related deaths, the United States has set stringent standards and regulations that are administered and monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Every business must follow these regulations to protect workers from health and safety hazards at work.
In this article, we will discuss the popular tech platforms that can help your organization meet the OSHA standards.
What is OSHA Compliance?
OSHA compliance is the process of adhering to the standards and regulations set forth by OSHA to have a safe workplace environment for everyone. Established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA offers training, outreach, education, and compliance assistance to meet these requirements.
OSHA regulations vary across industries, depending on the machinery used, exposure to chemicals, nature of work, and other factors. Since these norms vary, every employer must be aware of the regulations pertaining to their respective industry, and accordingly create policies and procedures. Additionally, organizations must conduct regular safety inspections, report workplace injuries, and provide the necessary training for employees to work safely. Note that non-compliance can result in heavy fines and penalties.
You can leverage OSHA platforms to implement and track these protocols, as they reduce time and effort. Moreover, these platforms support auditing and generate reports when needed.
Free OSHA Compliance Tools
There are a few free OSHA compliance tools, but their features are highly limited. In some cases, they apply only to specific industries. Here’s a look at the popular ones.
OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App
As the name suggests, this tool provides real-time heat index and hourly forecasts that are specific to your location. Using this information, you can plan outdoor work activities, especially during summer. Moreover, this app provides health recommendations to prevent heat-related illnesses.
Source: CDC
Key Features
- Presents a visual indicator of heat levels.
- Offers hourly forecasts to anticipate dangerous heat conditions.
- Provides guidance on hydration, rest breaks, and other measures needed to avoid illnesses.
- There are even worksite-specific risk levels and safety recommendations.
Pros:
- Free and easy to use.
- Location-specific, and hence accurate.
- Reduces the risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Cons:
- Limited to just heat-related data.
- Requires an Internet connection.
Download from Google Play Store and Apple Store.
NIOSH Small Business Safety and Health Handbook App
The NIOSH Small Business Safety and Health Handbook App is a free resource designed to help small businesses comply with OSHA regulations and create a safer workplace. Developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), it provides easy access to OSHA standards, hazard identification tools, and safety program recommendations.
Source: Apple Store
Key Features
- Offers comprehensive guidance to help small businesses create the appropriate policies.
- Provides a step-by-step hazard identification and risk assessment.
- Recommends workplace safety programs where applicable.
- Links to appropriate OSHA regulations and additional resources
Pros:
- Free and accessible.
- Covers a wide range of OSHA topics.
- Mobile-friendly.
Cons:
- Lacks safety tracking.
- Currently available only for iOS.
Download from the Apple Store.
As you can see, the free tools are highly limited in scope and functionality, and this is where the paid OSHA compliance tools are more useful.
Paid OSHA Compliance Tools
Next, let’s look at some widely-used OSHA compliance platforms. Though some of these tools have a free version or may offer a free trial, you must pay for a subscription to access all the advanced features.
SafetyCulture
SafetyCulture is a popular Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) platform that focuses on keeping your employees safe on the job. It helps identify and mitigate risks and meet the changing regulatory requirements.
Source: SafetyCulture
Key Features
- Creates a safe and healthy working environment.
- Helps establish robust and effective control measures.
- Identifies the root cause of workplace trends to identify potential risks and hazards.
- Offers an easy mechanism for employees to report safety concerns.
- Supports audits and inspections.
Pros:
- Automated compliance monitoring.
- Real-time alerts.
- Extensive third-party integrations.
- Security features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and advanced user management.
Cons:
- Expensive, especially for small businesses,
- Requires technical expertise for setting up the advanced features.
EHS Insight
This is another comprehensive EHS and ESG platform that strengthens your safety culture while protecting your employees. Moreover, it automates safety, risk, and compliance processes to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Source: EHS Insight
Key Features
- Provides incident and accident reporting along with a detailed root cause analysis.
- Automates compliance tracking and documentation.
- Integrates with Copilot to improve data quality and analysis.
- Simplifies complex tasks to help build a safer workplace.
- Supports instant audits and inspections.
Pros:
- On-demand reports.
- A mobile app for smartphones and tablets.
- Customizable.
Cons:
- Complex setup.
- Can be expensive.
Benchmark Gensuite
Benchmark Gensuite is a digital suite for EHS, ESG, and sustainability tracking and reporting. This cloud-based platform centralizes data collection and analysis for audits and reporting. Moreover, it updates automatically based on OSHA’s emerging guidelines.
Source: Benchmark Gensuite
Key Features
- Enables you to submit detailed information for the OSHA 300 Log and Form 301 incident reports.
- Follows the OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) to submit injury and illness-related data.
- Uses advanced filters to easily find the required information.
- Supports a wide range of industries, including logging and taxi services.
Pros:
- Extensive incident management solutions.
- Strong OSHA compliance tracking and documentation.
- Reduces compliance risks.
Cons:
- More comprehensive than is required for many companies.
- Initial configuration can be complex.
VelocityEHS
VelocityEHS is a fully integrated platform that improves workplace safety and risk management. This intuitive and cloud-based platform offers many features like incident tracking and workplace safety management to help with OSHA compliance.
Source: VelocityEHS
Key Features
- Offers in-app guides to reduce training time and ease the implementation of complex tasks.
- Provides centralized controls for better tracking.
- It comes with shared dashboards and reports for easy collaboration.
- Leverages machine learning and AI to improve automation.
- Makes accurate predictions based on high-quality data.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface.
- Strong compliance tracking features.
- Real-time data and analytics.
Cons:
- No free version or trial.
- Requires detailed training.
PureOHS
PureOHS is an occupational health management platform that streamlines incident and case management for work-related injuries. It also helps document every incident for future audits and reports. This information can be used to boost workplace safety and employee efficiency as well.
Source: PureOHS
Key Features
- Tracks cases and follows it up with appointment scheduling, treatment plans, and more.
- Makes it easy to import new injuries and illnesses to third-party administrators.
- Helps employees to get back to work and improves communication between employees and the organization.
- Supports unlimited users, making it ideal for large organizations.
Pros:
- Automates administrative tasks.
- Biweekly software updates.
- Customizable graphs and charts.
Cons:
- Focused more on occupational health and less on general safety.
- No API support.
Choosing the Right OSHA Compliance Tool
Selecting the right OSHA tool depends on many factors like your organization’s size, industry, number of employees, and specific safety needs. While businesses with limited budgets may benefit from free tools, it’s a good idea to go for the paid ones as they come with more features. That said, make sure to strike a balance between your budgets and the feature list.
Also, ask yourself the following questions while evaluating different OSHA compliance software.
- Does the tool support OSHA 300 logs, incident tracking, and audit preparation?
- Is the platform user-friendly and accessible for employees at all levels? Do I have to spend additional time and money on training?
- Can the tool grow with your business and adapt to new safety regulations?
- Does it work with your existing HR, training, or risk management systems?
- Are the features worth the investment, or would a free tool meet your needs?
Based on your answers to these questions, choose a solution that matches your industry’s requirements and OSHA compliance while boosting workplace safety.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, OSHA is a mandatory set of guidelines for workplace safety, and every organization that operates in the U.S. must adhere to it. Since the standards can vary across industries, it’s important for organizations to know what applies to their specific business. Similarly, selecting the right OSHA compliance tool is also critical, as it helps track your progress and generate reports as needed.
In this article, we discussed some of the best OSHA compliance software and we hope this information takes you closer to selecting the right platform.