The versatility of a company’s internal app cannot be understated. They can provide a centralized system where employees can access company news and updates, human resources information, large projects and other business specific items. Ideally, this will enhance communication within and make it easier for everyone to collaborate more effectively.
Whether your workforce works remotely or on site, an employee app helps communicate key information simultaneously without excluding anyone. Aside from that, workers are also able to access company services at their own convenience, as well as current news such as safety updates.
Cultivating a safety culture in your organization can help employees better handle precautions and enable them to report any incidents. In fact, safety should be a top priority for any organization. What are some of the best ways to communicate a safe and effective workplace via the company app?
Health & Public Safety Updates
The importance of employee health and public safety could not be more emphasized, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic. A healthy workforce benefits your organization and the wider community, including your customers and your employees' families. In fact, there is a lot of merit to allowing spouses and family members to access certain sections as well.
An internal app plays a crucial role as a centralized repository for communication. This tool ensures that health and public safety updates and measures are relayed effectively. These matters provide a benefit to all parties involved.
Inclement Weather
Understanding what to expect as far as weather goes can help your employees prepare effectively. With hazardous driving conditions due to snow, office workers can be allowed to work remotely. On the opposite end of the spectrum, encourage field employees to limit their exposure to the sun and hydrate more on hot and sunny days.
This can also affect the way your employees work. The warmer seasons can lead to a greater workload for travel and retail businesses, while rain can increase food delivery orders while limiting in store traffic. Daily weather updates can help your staff mentally prepare for the workday ahead.
Reporting Accidents
As defined by OSHA, a workplace accident refers to any “unplanned event that results in personal injury or property damage.” It can be a minor incident such as a fall or a major accident such as being trapped in motorized mechanical equipment. Regardless, it’s vital to keep your employees informed.
Communicating accidents through an employee app can help protect your workforce, prevent future occurrences and nurture trust by showing greater transparency.
Exposure to Dangerous Chemicals
Toxic substances such as corrosives, irritants and sensitizers are commonly used especially in industrial work environments. Chemical exposure can be harmful to human beings if not properly handled, leading to irreversible bodily harm.
Keeping your workforce safe, informed and aware of these risks is crucial. An employee app can provide updates to your staff on any incidents such as chemical spills or poisonous gas leaks. It is also capable of distributing proper procedures and usage instructions to prevent exposure in the first place.
Faulty Machinery & Tools Hazard
Incidents such as a burn or cuts are often reported in highly industrial work environments such as construction or transportation industries. Negligent workplace accidents from faulty machinery and tools can heavily cost a company. Yet many of these can be prevented.
Besides regularly maintaining machinery and tools, organizations can use an employee app to communicate machinery assessments and preventive measures. It also leaves a trail of proper compliance actions, demonstrating a commitment to transparency.
In House Safety Procedures and Protocols
Together with the stipulated guidelines provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, ensure your Human Resource personnel formulates in house safety procedures and protocols. These guidelines can be shared through an employee app where everyone is required to know and adhere to them.
Safety History
An effective employee app acts as an effective filing and reports processing system for various workplace incidents. It’s important for every incident to be duly recorded as soon as it happens. This way, investigating and following up with the incidents is easy.
With a mobile app, workers can even log details immediately at the site of the accident. This limits the amount of mistakes that can happen from data transfer.
Crisis Communication
An internal app can be useful when relaying urgent and real time information. This is especially true in times of crisis. Workplace accidents aren’t the only problems to be wary of. Some organizations may experience bad actors purposely causing incidents on site.
In these cases, push notifications can send real time updates to prevent misinformation. It can also be used to distribute instructions in times of crises. Finally, it can also help alleviate concerns of spouses and family members who are not directly at the worksite.
Crisis Toolkit
A crisis toolkit is an important asset for any organization. By creating a series of scenarios and clearly defining objectives and instructions, workers can be prepared for any cases that arise.
Most organizations are cautious of sharing such information with their workforce. However, in today’s digital world, staff can be a company’s ambassador if trained properly on how to handle a crisis. An employee app can enhance this kind of training.
Safety Assessments and Compliance
While it’s important to have guidelines and policies in place, it’s only part of the solution. It is also necessary to ensure that your workforce is aware of the rules and their applications.
One way to keep your employees aware is by regularly assessing their safety protocols knowledge. You can do this by integrating quizzes, polls and surveys to determine if there is a need for further training or not.
Employee Safety is in Your Hands
When utilized effectively, an internal app is a powerful communications tool that unites your workforce when it matters and helps build trust within the organization. Most safety incidents are unplanned, so speed and distribution are vital. An employee app is perfectly positioned as the solution to address alerts and notifications that can impact a worker’s wellbeing.
