Digital boost to safety

Digital tools to boost safety in the workplace were some of the new technologies highlighted at the Safety First Conference & Expo held in Melbourne last week.

Safety software company myosh’s digital platform was presented to industry professionals, a mobile safety app for smartphones, which can be downloaded from the App Store.

The app is designed to make it easier for people to immediately report incidents and hazards, and action on the go.

Adrian Manessis, business development manager of myosh, said that smartphones are powerful tools in campaigns for promoting workplace safety.

“When people see something that they can report or take action on easily, they’re much more likely to act, which means organisations get more data about their real safety performance,” Manessis said.

“The right systems put safety in everyone’s hands.”

Safe Work Australia (SWA) opened the conference and revealed it is scanning the landscape for emerging issues including how changing technology can be used to communicate health and safety messages. 

It is becoming more common for Australian work health and safety regulators to now use digital technology to send targeted short safety messages, often linked to YouTube.

Reflecting on the strategic approaches needed by organisations, Michelle Baxter, CEO of SWA, called for organisations to move beyond just compliance with the laws and for them to show leadership and ‘design in safety’.

Baxter commented that a visible and practical commitment to safety by workplace leaders is a strong motivator for safety compliance as workers recognise that their boss cares about their health and safety, and therefore so should they.