Building a Business Case for Online Health and Safety Inductions
Health and safety professionals across the world are investing in online systems to streamline workplace health and safety inductions. With this, industries that have continually used the same and less efficient paper-based health and safety practices have begun to embrace digital change. The move away from in-person inductions and paper-based documentation means that organisations are favouring a streamlined and consistent online health and safety induction process. Such organisations are seeing a plethora of benefits in many areas of their business.
Despite this positive shift in the health and safety industry, it is still paramount to build a strong business case in order to obtain board approval for the investment in an online workplace health and safety induction system. That’s why our expert team has put together this article to help you create a compelling, and most importantly, winning business case for the investment in an online workplace health and safety induction system.
Building a powerful business case
Building a case solely on the foundations of saving administrative effort is a mistake that many professionals can make, and this may cause the business case to fail. The top leaders in your company are most likely unaware of the current health and safety risks that are present in the workplace and will therefore not understand how an investment in health and safety software will benefit your organisation. To them, the premise of less paperwork will not justify the investment. The bottom line is key, and the business case must outline how the investment will improve health and safety procedures as well as justify the financial aspects.
The importance of investing in health and safety
As a health and safety professional, it is up to you to get across the significance of investing time and money in strong health and safety systems and procedures within the business. In order to shift the mindset that the investment is merely an expense, you must be able to demonstrate the reasons for them to view it as a necessary investment. The consideration of the following aspects can help build this side of the case:
- What are the possible consequences to the business if a serious negative health and safety event happens, caused by a lack of robust health and safety procedures?
- Could you be criminally prosecuted?
- What are the moral and ethical considerations for your staff?
- What IS duty of care and how can you demonstrate it being delivered in your organisation?
Your expertise in the area as well as the consideration of these fundamental questions will help you build a compelling business case that will make senior management take notice.
The benefits of an online health and safety induction system
Resolution Digital’s bespoke online health and safety induction systems have a plethora of benefits that can be related to the current issues your organisation faces and help you build your business case. Here are a few:
Bespoke systems allow for flexibility
Implementing a bespoke system means that your organisation will not have to adapt to an off-the-shelf system, our expert team will make a system that adapts to you and the way you need it to work. For example, our online systems can be as simple or as complex as you need, and more importantly, can be evolved over time to adapt as your business changes and grows. Want a simple system solely for inductions? Resolution Digital can provide that. Or, perhaps you are looking for a more complex, all-encompassing system that includes inductions, eLearning, digital forms for risk assessments, incident reporting, near-miss reporting and more. Implementing a bespoke system means that you’re investing in an online platform that covers all of your HSEQ needs without having many separate systems.
Looking for a bespoke online health and safety platform? Get in touch.
Productivity
Studies show that organisations with a strong induction process oversee increased productivity by over 70% (source). Resolution Digital’s bespoke online induction systems offer improvements to productivity by ensuring that new starters, contractors and visitors turn up on site, day one, having already completed their workplace health and safety induction. The records are automatically updated and easily accessible via an intuitive dashboard. Having an online system also allows users to upload any necessary documentation prior to arrival. Having all of the information stored in a secure online platform will save time and money whilst increasing productivity rates across the company.
Consistency
Have you sat the same induction led by different instructors and found that one lasts 10 minutes and the other 1, or even 2 hours? Video-based online induction systems ensure consistency and standardisation across the board which means that it is guaranteed that the correct message is being put across each time. With a bespoke online health and safety system, you have delivered your duty of care by ensuring that each person receives the same important health and safety messages.
Staff retention
Studies show that companies with an engaging induction programme retained 91% of their first-year workers. The money spent on rehiring in itself is a huge financial advantage of investing in bespoke online workplace health and safety induction systems.
A bespoke online induction system ensures that new employees are familiarised with the workplace, its culture, ethos, and ways of working before arriving on the first day and can help to ease the dreaded ‘first day fear’.
Our virtual studio can incorporate a company-branded background, meaning that the new starter will instantly feel a part of the company culture even before starting. Alongside this, we recommend onsite filming so that the learner can know what to expect before the first day. This in itself can help employees feel more included in the organisation and can help to increase staff retention across the company.
Want to learn more?
Our expert team can help you build your business case for online health and safety induction systems. We’re always happy to discuss ideas and work in partnership with you to understand your health and safety needs and identify the best solution to benefit the business and the way that you work.
