Risks in Record Keeping

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 states that due diligence “includes taking reasonable steps to acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters”. By using paper-based processes, disparate spreadsheets, or a combination of the two, you may be exposing yourself to a potential compliance breach of information availability.

These processes make it unnecessarily difficult to chase up information about previous incidents. With bits and pieces stored all over the place, it is nearly impossible to be confident the information you do have is accurate and up to date.

In the case of an audit, this can create some serious compliance problems.

If an audit is conducted, the regulator is within their rights to request reports on incidents occurring up to six years prior. They may request to see an assets maintenance history, to ensure due diligence in reducing any potential risks.

While it is possible, to an extent, to keep these records in spreadsheets and paper, it’s far from easy. Expectations for information validity and accessibility are evolving along with technology.

How long will it take to trawl through filing cabinets or old spreadsheets, before you’re able to provide the information requested by the auditor?

In today’s world, we increasingly expect information to be available on demand, driven by services like search engines, which present you with a lifetime of information within a fraction of a second.

While the expectation on delivery speed is different when it comes to auditors requesting to auditors requesting asset information, the element of impatience is impossible to avoid.

On the front foot

By leveraging a cloud-based solution, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to appease the request of the auditor. Storing information securely in the cloud means it is available when, and where you need it. Better still, if your chosen solution is mobile optimised, you won’t even have to return to your desk, and will be able to deliver details on demand.