Check risk H and S assesment on the Web

Manufacturers can streamline and strengthen the management of health and safety practice through the use of a new, web-based risk assessment and permit-to-work system.

Manufacturers can streamline and strengthen the management of health and safety practice through the use of a new, web-based risk assessment and permit-to-work system from mvi technology.

mvi technology has introduced a new module for its real-time performance management (RPM) suite of products: the eventsengine risk assessment and permit-to-work system simplifies the generation, storage and retrieval of permits-to-work, whilst demonstrating compliance within a stringent health and safety regulatory framework.

The system, which operates via a web browser, allows work in hazardous environments to be carefully controlled through the electronic issue and recording of permits, and provides a complete audit trail for each one.

Work authorisations are created on a one-to-one basis from engineering work orders - these may be issued automatically by interfacing with an enterprise asset management (EAM) system or the product can operate on a stand-alone basis.

When a works order requires a general permit to work, the user simply needs to complete the on-screen form, detailing the associated hazards (selected from a list configured to the company's requirements) and the controls necessary to mitigate risk.

The system also offers a number of "special" permits for jobs that require particular safety methodologies, such as those involving working at height or in confined spaces.

At each stage of its life, from approval by manager to acceptance by tradesman and eventual completion, the permit must be authorised using an electronic signature from the relevant personnel (the system can even store identifying photographs of the signatories).

Configurable system security ensures that trusted employees can sign off on their own completed jobs whilst work carried out by contractors can be subjected to a separate inspection stage.

Crucially, every stage in the permit's lifecycle (along with every signature) is time and date-stamped, so that in the event of an accident all the relevant information can be retrieved quickly, accurately and efficiently.

The eventsengine system also alleviates a familiar regulatory bugbear that arises when a job runs over a number of days.

HSE regulations require that new general and special permits are produced and authorised for each day of the job, taking into consideration any new information that may have emerged.

With a paper-based system this can take many man-hours but the mvi system minimises time spent by allowing users to clone the original permit and add only the new information.

This process automatically builds up a full audit trail within the module.

Any closed permit can be retrieved at any time, making available for inspection a complete, timed and dated record of the permit's lifecycle, including details of the individuals involved in authorisation, acceptance, checking and completion.

As well as providing an audit trail for HSE compliance, the system can help with the management of works orders - current permits can be called up on a dashboard displaying the exact status of all the jobs in real time, giving safety professionals all the information they require to perform their job effectively.

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