5 reasons why health and safety auditors love online inductions

Health and safety inspections and audits provide reassurance that construction work is being carried out in accordance with best practice and legal duty. They help to demonstrate safe systems of work and how health and safety standards are being prioritised on site.

Health & Safety inductions in the construction industry

One system which is impressing health and safety auditors and consultants is GetOnSite’s online induction platform, which validates and tracks contractors’ inductions. There are 5 reasons why our system is impressing health and safety auditors.

“An external expert commented ‘what a great system’ (GetOnSite online induction platform) when carrying out an inspection” (Neil Rakestrow, Britannia).

So what are the 5 reasons why health and safety auditors are so impressed with our online induction software?

1. Auditors can access information at the a click of a button

Knowing you have robust health and safety procedures in place and demonstrating you have them, are two different things. By using an online induction platform, such as GetOnSite, you can confidently show inspectors an audit trail of who has completed an induction and when – all at the click of a button.

“Feedback from health & safety consultants is really positive. They can find the information they need at click of a button” (John Lewis, Henstaff Construction).

2. Mitigation of risks and flagging important issues

Hazards are unavoidable on a construction site and will change as a site develops. Auditors and inspectors look at how these risks are managed, mitigated and communicated. Site inductions are one way to explain to contractors and visitors the hazards on site, and auditors look on favourably if these inductions are being managed pro-actively. With GetOnSite’s online induction tool, companies can confirm that contractors have completed and understood their health and safety induction and notify contractors if they need to recomplete an induction due to changes on site.

3. Control quality

Traditional face-to-face inductions can vary significantly in quality. They rely on site managers to deliver a consistent message to all contractors. With organisations needing inductions for multiple sites or projects, delivering a consistent message in-person cannot be guaranteed.
In comparison, companies can control the quality of site inductions with online inductions. By hosting their inductions online, they can be sure a robust and consistent safety message is being delivered to all contractors, as well as being able to provide specific safety information for each site. Inductions can be closely monitored at both site level and at group level.

“The GetOnSite online induction system has improved our internal processes because we can document that staff have had the necessary training for auditing purposes, and we can control the quality of the inductions” (Craig Paterson, The Guildhall Trust).

4. Store data securely

Using an online induction platform, like GetOnSite, companies can capture and view critical information in emergency situations such as medical and next of kin contract details. There is no need to duplicate paper-records, and records are stored securely in the cloud; showing auditors accurate records are being kept securely. Historical records are kept and can be accessed if needed.

“Data storage in the cloud is a big bonus for us across our sites, we are not duplicating everything, and everyone that needs to, has access to the information 24/7” (John Lewis, Henstaff Construction).

5. Robust validation

Demonstrating a contractor has completed and understood an induction can be difficult if inductions are delivered manually. With online inductions, such as GetOnSite’s platform, correctly completed inductions generate an access code to prove operatives have successfully completed their induction. Any incorrectly answered questions will be flagged, for site managers to review when a contractor begins works on site, helping to prove to health and safety consultants that inductions are taken seriously and are not just a tick-box exercise.

Online inductions help to mitigate health and safety risks. They also help save time and money as they remove the hidden costs of inducting every new contractor that arrives on site.

For a tour of the GetOnSite system and to give yourself an understanding of the 5 reasons why, book a 30-minute demo.