Digitalization and effective crisis management are becoming essential tools for maintaining occupational safety. When challenges from disruptions arise, companies can take the opportunity to strengthen safety processes. Indeed, management during a crisis is the ideal time to optimize occupational safety processes permanently, ensuring legal conformity and occupational safety in the long run.
A clear example of this approach is seen in how Miba, an Austrian industrial technology company, optimized its processes with AMCS EHS Management. Learn from their EHS management during a crisis and discover actionable insights for improving your company's safety culture.
setting goals for crisis management
Crises can provide unique opportunities for advancing occupational safety. At Miba, Corporate EHS & Facility Manager Franz Almhofer-Amering took the chance to implement processes that focused on safety compliance across various global locations. The goal was twofold:
- Support all employees in adhering to safety regulations
- Minimize the liability risks for management
Setting clear objectives during a crisis ensures that safety remains a priority, while also turning the attention of top management into an opportunity for long-term safety improvements.
winning over employees
Occupational safety succeeds or fails based on employee buy-in. Engaging employees is essential to ensuring that safety measures are understood and implemented. At Miba, inspectors conducted location-independent safety audits to communicate the importance of safety measures directly, demonstrating that management was actively involved. This approach helped build a safety-first culture where employees recognized management’s commitment to their well-being.
advice from Miba
- Acknowledge employee concerns about safety measures
- Make safety everyone’s priority by involving people in decision-making
- Ensure management takes personal responsibility for implementation
- Communicate occupational safety as a priority and make it palpable to employees
securing top management support
A crisis often draws attention from top management to safety and compliance. This interest presents a unique chance to standardize processes and implement digital solutions for occupational safety. For Miba, the rollout of EHS software prior to disruptions allowed them to quickly centralize safety processes when needed.
They made the Risks & Audits module of AMCS EHS Management a requirement for safety inspections across all locations. This gave them transparent and efficient safety management.
advice from Miba
- Use existing systems and resources like EHS software
- Highlight the importance of legal compliance for management teams
- Leverage crises to propose standardization across the company
determining effective safety measures
Effective safety management during a crisis requires more than just following pre-set guidelines. Miba’s approach involved conducting in-depth research beyond standard checklists to anticipate future risks and regulations. They used diverse sources to build a comprehensive question catalog for safety audits. This allowed them to cover the unique needs of both office and manufacturing environments.
advice from Miba
- Conduct your own research from various trusted sources
- Avoid relying solely on pre-made checklists—tailor them to your needs
- Anticipate potential regulatory changes
executing safety inspections company-wide
Successful safety management depends on how inspections are executed. At Miba, software-enabled safety audits were key to their strategy. By involving all levels of management and making the process easy to understand, they achieved wide acceptance.
The inspections not only ensured compliance with new safety measures but also highlighted areas for continuous improvement. Results were publicly shared within the company, further driving home the importance of safety measures.
advice from Miba
- Ensure that systems and processes are user-friendly
- Document how safety measures are implemented across locations
- Use findings from inspections to create new standards and share results across the company
turn a crisis into an opportunity for lasting EHS improvements
Crises provide companies with an unparalleled opportunity to enhance their occupational safety measures. By adopting digital solutions, engaging both employees and management, and proactively identifying risks, companies can not only navigate disruptions but also lay the groundwork for a stronger safety culture moving forward.
Miba’s experience shows how digitalization – and specificaly AMCS EHS Management software can optimize safety processes, ensure compliance, and win the support of top management. With the right strategy, your company can turn a crisis into an opportunity for lasting EHS improvements.
If you’re ready to enhance your safety processes with digital solutions, AMCS EHS Management is the ideal choice. Customer surveys show users cut their time spent on tasks by up to 50%. Learn more now – contact us. You can also see for yourself how it makes your EHS tasks easier. Request a free demo now.