Xafy safety app - a safety audit app will streamline your hse checklist flow

According to the latest reports from the Polish Central Statistical Office, the number of mobile phone subscribers and users is approaching 55 million. Considering Poland's population of around 38 million, this means that many of us use more than one phone. Usually these are private devices together with business ones. This ratio will surely only increase, after all it is hard to imagine everyday life without a mobile phone. The handheld computer glued to our hand has undoubtedly become a characteristic feature of our civilisation, like bronze tools for the ancients. Ubiquitous phones have also penetrated the working environment and will not disappear soon. How we use them depends on us. After all, when travelling by car, we can use GPS navigation in a mobile app and reach our destination safely, or by writing a text message we can end our drive in a tree. Everything is in our hands. Personally, I would like to join the global trend and I am in favour of interweaving technology into work in order to squeeze as many benefits for people as possible out of it.

All kinds of IT tools aimed at improvements to the management of processes in a company follows this trend perfectly. One of the first aspects of safety management that almost begs to be digitalised is the daily inspection of the technical condition of machinery and equipment. Paper was invented in 105 AD, and paper checklists were probably invented in 106 AD and have not had a worthy successor for many years. In the meantime, using mobile applications, sheets of paper can be successfully replaced. The benefits of such a change can exceed the costs many times over. 

Xafy Safety Application together with its appropriate administrator panel from the level of a web browser allows for comprehensive management of the entire system. Depending on the company, it may cover all machines and equipment requiring inspection, all types of locations assessed in terms of health, safety and fire protection, quality supervision or completeness of equipment of transport units required by ADR regulations. The use of a mobile application in tasks of this type gives the possibility to view the situation in the plant here and now, regardless of our location, and ensures supervision of the correct execution of procedures. This seems to be particularly important now, when remote work (so-called home office) is widely used by employers, and everything indicates that it will successfully replace the standard mode of office work. 

Using IT solutions such as Xafy Safety App we have all historical data and reviews collected in one place. Managing a machinery park of several dozen machines, in combination with a fleet of transport equipment, can be a headache. Not to mention archiving and storing documentation. The Xafy Safety App processes and visually presents the technical status of all machines and equipment added to its environment. Existing faults, production problems, risks to employees or "forgetful" workstations are visible at a glance. This is an excellent starting point for improving health and safety by reducing the time between the detection of faults and the initiation of corrective action and reducing production downtime.

Using the Xafy Safety App itself is intuitive, clear and simple. Using QR code technology, user is directed to the relevant group of checklists assigned to a particular device or machine. In this way, the person performing the inspection knows immediately what their task is. The options for answers do not end with a zero-one YES or NO, as is usually the case with paper lists. The content, as well as the order of questions can be freely edited. The control panel allows to create checklists tailored to the needs and expectations of the company. In addition to short selections, the application also allows you to add a photo attachment and a comment to the check performed. Upon completion of the inspection, the software itself will inform the employee of the results. If there are any conditions preventing further operation of the machine or device, a warning message will appear on the phone screen. However, after sending the inspection, its results are immediately visible in the system. Quick access to such information for people from different departments of the company significantly improves the coordination of corrective actions. Xafy Safety App can also be successfully used to centrally supervise the state of occupational health and safety in various locations, which can be particularly important among consultants.

The implementation of such a digitalisation system is to some extent dependent on the technical capabilities of the equipment on which it would be installed. Currently, the dominant role is played by the Android operating system successfully used by most electronics manufacturers. Most mobile applications are dedicated to Android. Access to the Internet is also crucial in order to enable efficient communication between the application and the control panel and the database. These two conditions are extremely important for a mobile checklist system to function efficiently and not just be a gadget.

With further technological development, such and similar solutions will certainly penetrate the working environment. It is only up to us to decide when and how this will happen. In my opinion, the benefits of using a mobile application to streamline checklist filling cannot be overestimated in a highly volatile and competitive economic environment. Improving the technical condition of machinery and equipment and saving time spent on preparation for work is undoubtedly our advantage over companies standing still. On the other hand, any improvements aimed at protecting the health and lives of employees are usually worth the price, as many companies find out later. On the other hand, by using this system, we save time and money while improving health and safety conditions in the company. There could hardly be a more compatible way forward.