Work approvals with digital checklists: transparent mapping and documentation of multi-stage processes
In order to protect employees or external companies during hazardous work in the company, many things need to be considered, such as risk assessments, deadlines, protective measures, rules, responsible persons and approval processes. Occupational safety officers are faced with the challenge of maintaining an overview and stringently following defined processes. With digital checklists that support multi-stage processes, this is child’s play.
Permits to work are a structuring element of approval and work clearance processes that are required by law for potentially hazardous work. They describe the work to be carried out, where and when it is to be carried out, by whom it is to be carried out and what precautions are to be taken. Only when the preparations have been properly completed and checked and signed by the responsible persons are release and permission slips issued. Work approvals are therefore an important element of occupational safety, involving a large number of people and areas.
Digital checklists versus digital approval systems
It is well known that software tools can support complex processes such as the work approvals described above. Digital checklists have proven to be a neutral, less performance-hungry and intuitive tool for easily distributing work approvals to users, as they are flexible to use.
Digital checklists can be easily distributed to internal and external employees via the (mobile) internet and used by them via a web browser or smartphone app. Once a checklist has been completed, the subsequent approval processes are simple and automated via an email workflow. The person responsible for an area only sees the part of the checklist for which they are responsible and approves “their” items with a digital signature. This takes the complexity out of the process for the individual person.
Map the entire approval process with digital checklists
However, digital checklists are not just a simple way of recording data. The software is also able to map the multi-stage approval and release process for hazardous work 1:1. Functions such as handwritten signatures, reminders by email or app and automatic escalations are supported. This also ensures that once processes have been defined, they are worked through step by step and no step is skipped.
How do checklists support the process?
If work approvals are implemented as digital checklists, there are advantages for everyone involved: health and safety officers have an overview of ongoing approval procedures, deadlines, protective measures, etc. via their dashboard. The digital checklists can be used to record hazards, integrate risk assessments and create, check and document protective measures. Responsible persons are defined, reminder e-mails are sent and deadlines are planned. Digital work approvals also ensure reliable and uniform documentation, thereby increasing legal certainty.
Simple administration
With the checklist designer, once trained users can create the checklists themselves without any programming knowledge – the various control element templates are simply dragged and dropped into the document. New and modified checklists are published immediately and are then available to all users. In the app version, the checklists can also be used offline. The recorded information is then synchronized and stored centrally.
Your added value
- More simplicity. Automated processes, also multi-level, target group-oriented. Area managers only have to process what falls within their area of responsibility, thus removing complexity from the process.
- Better overview. Via their dashboard, all managers have access to the current release certificate processes and can view the status at any time.
- Greater process reliability. Multi-stage processes are supported, step-by-step implementation, all persons/departments involved are reliably involved.
- Greater legal certainty. Clear proof of who documented what and when, less scope for manipulation, time savings for employees.
- More flexibility. Access to the solution via browser and link, view a wide range of information from any location or make adjustments to checklists.
Get in touch!
Would you like to know more about our solutions? Then please write us using the contact form. My colleagues and I look forward to exchanging ideas with you.
Dominik Weggler
Head of Sales Germanedge