DESCRIPTION
Quinn Building Products, as part of Quinn Industrial Holdings, has developed a new state of the art digital health and safety management solution as a major part of its Safer by Competence policy. The system provides a cloud-based, centralised health and safety management solution which is fully integrated for all Quinn divisions.
The project required significant financial and resource investment, collaboration with stakeholders in all Quinn divisions and the involvement of many external contractors. The outcome of this work, which took over 12 months to complete, was the 'Quinn Safety Hub'. The Hub consists of four modules that focus on the management of incidents, audits, training and contractors.
Health & Safety Management – Incidents and Audits
The Hub uses ‘Effective’ and ‘Learn Up On’ training management software, with the functionality to:
- Report and investigate, incidents, near misses, hazards and positive observations throughout the organisation
- Feed all records into a centralised reporting system
- Provide all information in real time, thus providing up to the minute information on the progress of investigations and recommended actions
- Provide evidence of competency
- Schedule and complete audits and inspections
- Track the performance of KPIs set for each Division
The development of the Hub promotes and encourages a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. It enhances the ability to monitor the progress and resolution of issues as they arise in real-time.
The Hub includes a mobile App enabling the use of tablets or mobile phones to report incidents and hazards, complete audits, inspections and investigations and raise actions on site.
Traceability and accountability are achieved for each action raised by assigning it to an individual, giving responsibility to follow through, complete and close out the action.
Training
The Hub allows for the complete management of all training. Part of the Hub development included the integration of ‘Learn Upon’ training management software to create a uniquely tailored system.
The Hub provides:
- Delivery of online video-based training, including inductions and toolbox talks.
- Easy identification of employee and contractor current training status using a traffic light system
- Alerts for managers in advance of training expiry, allowing them to schedule training in line with operational needs.
- The ability to ensure compliance
Contractors
The contractor module enables the company to:
- Efficiently manage contractors. All contractor information is now in in one central place: insurance, employee training records, health and safety documentation, etc.
- Always ensure compliance and traceability
- Provide a self-serve option for contractors, who receive direct notifications and access to upload their own information and documentation
- Deliver induction training online via videos prior to contractors’ arrival on site.
Hub Promotion
The launch of the Safety Hub was heavily promoted externally through a news release, video promotion and social media campaign, and internally through the newsletter, intranet and face to face communications and internal training workshops. A video was used to emphasise the significance of the development and to add to the promotion of a safety-first culture. The visibility of the internal campaign has helped raise awareness of the importance of making health and safety a priority for every individual in the company.
BENEFITS
- An enhancement to our PDCA approach to risk management
- Improved compliance, as a result of better reporting and rigid compliance controls
- Assisted with the implementation and certification to OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001 Health and Safety Management Systems
- Real-time reporting and visibility
- Traceability and accountability
- Interactive contractor management
- Full training management
- Removal of time-consuming paper-based reports, documentation and audits
- Central location and ease of retrieval for all safety and training information during internal and external audits
- Evaluation of both divisional and overall company performance using KPIs
- 2018 accidents and incidents greatly reduced overall versus pre-Hub figures (2016):
- AIR down 41%
- Reportable (3 Day +) injuries down 46%
- Lost time injuries down 42%
- Auditors involved in certification have commented on its positive impact
- HSENI’s Ken Logan, MBE, described the system as “a fantastic management tool for the senior managers within the company”.
- Other organisations across UK have requested information about the system
- Enhanced safety culture throughout Quinns