Occupational safety software is a modern, uncomplicated way of complying with legal requirements and creating more transparency and legal certainty in occupational safety and health protection. Stephan Hunziker explains in an interview how this can be successfully achieved with the "safely" software from Lobsiger & Partner GmbH. He is Head of Occupational Health & Safety at the leading food convenience provider Valora Schweiz AG in Muttenz.
Mr. Hunziker, Valora relies on software in the area of occupational safety. What prompted you to do this?
Stephan Hunziker: It takes more than an Excel list to implement and track occupational health and safety uniformly in Valora Schweiz AG's 1200 sales outlets. You need well-functioning software. In this respect, "safely" helps us a great deal with the checks, as the solution logs and displays all open cases.
How did you decide to choose "safely"?
In the case of risk assessments, for example, you need to know firstly where the defects were found and secondly, were the defects ultimately rectified by the person responsible? Of course, I can't track this at all with an Excel file. That's why we use the software, which conveniently queries and documents all the steps. We opted for "safely" not least because of the optimum support and technical expertise of Lobsiger & Partner GmbH.
What are the daily challenges in your position as Head of Safety?
The daily challenges include regular visits to our sales outlets, which we check for existing defects and compliance with occupational safety guidelines. We also provide employees with up-to-date information on occupational health and safety, either in person or via software.
To what extent can the "safely" software support you in this?
With regard to the coronavirus, for example, I was able to use the "safely" software to provide employees directly with the latest health protection information published by the Federal Office of Public Health. We also use the app to inform them about the dangers of chemical products such as cleaning agents so that they can protect themselves better with the help of protective equipment.
Stephan Hunziker shows how easy it is for employees to report hazards such as tripping hazards on mobile devices thanks to the app. (© Markus Frutig, SAFETY-PLUS)
How does the Valora Group benefit from using software?
The use of the software helps us enormously to record any health and safety deficiencies identified in our sales outlets and to check whether they have actually been rectified. These could be tripping hazards or missing handrails on stairs, for example. With "safely", we can guarantee safe workplaces.
What are the main benefits of using this app?
In the course of restructuring our software, we looked for new solutions and found "safely" to be a tool that is very clear, simple and self-explanatory to use. The tool is PC- and tablet-compatible - and the software can also be used in our Valora checkout system.
Which features bring you particular added value and benefits?
In our "daily business", of course, it helps us a lot that we can design or adapt our checklists ourselves according to our requirements. When logging defects, we can also insert photos directly into the report, which is extremely helpful when rectifying defects and saves time.
What makes the application stand out for you?
The flexibility that the software allows should of course be emphasized. In addition to occupational safety, another important aspect is our repair management. With "safely", we can also see whether our devices are likely to fail and then prevent this. This is a very valuable application. Another point is that this software helps us to better comply with the legal requirements for occupational health and safety. Our safety checks are recorded in "safely" and can therefore be more easily verified to the authorities (or cantonal enforcement bodies).
How has the software been received by the individual kiosk operators?
Because the software is easy to use and self-explanatory, it has been very well received by sales managers and kiosk operators. In our training courses, we have only received positive feedback on the ease of use and the clarity of the work orders.
Your personal conclusion?
Personally, I am involved in a wide variety of circles on the subject of occupational health and safety and am often asked about my approach. I then like to present the "safely" software and am always met with enthusiasm for the simplicity, clarity and flexibility of this software, which can be used in a wide variety of areas of occupational health and safety.
Originally published in SAFETY-PLUS 2/20, page 20-21