Survey of the risk management methods, techniques and software used most frequently in occupational health and safety

Throughout modernity, increasing emphasis on knowledge, digitization and information technology has fueled the emergence of new methods of organizational management. In several fields, digital technologies have proven indispensable for facilitating and improving operations as well as business development. Companies that recognize this are now acquiring software even for risk management, notably for work-related injuries and illnesses, a persistent and particularly complicated problem because of its multidisciplinary nature and entanglement with human behavior. Despite their undeniable contribution to the progress made so far, conventional methods are not entirely adequate for managing the unpredictability characterizing occupational health and safety (OHS) risks. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the current use of software in OHS risk management, based on a survey of the advantages and limitations of the most widely used tools. Our findings reveal that such tools are intended primarily for use in construction and chemical processing, the industries in which OHS is taken most seriously. They are found nevertheless to hold promise as solutions to OHS risk management problems encountered in a wide variety of small and medium-sized businesses. © 2020 WITPress. All rights reserved.