Compliance and Safety

15 of the Best Inspection Apps in 2021

Posted on by Danny Kanev

15 of the Best Inspection Apps in 2021

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What is a mobile inspection?

The term mobile inspection refers to the process of using a mobile device or tablet to perform an inspection in the field. Companies are eliminating paper forms and instead relying on mobile technology in today’s digital era to perform job functions like inspections on a mobile device. 

The mobile inspection is performed by a technician in the field and the data is then automatically synced in real-time to the office or generated as a report for the customer. Given the remote nature of many inspection job sites, mobile inspections can also be performed offline. Using an inspection mobile app, the information can be collected offline and synced to the cloud once an internet connection is available again.

What is the best inspection app?

The best construction project management app should be simple to use and customizable for any business or use case. Here is what you need in order to have a best-in-class inspection app for your business:

  • Ease to use and adopt. The best inspection apps should be easy to use and easy for your entire staff to adopt into their workflows. No coding or advanced help from IT should be required with app development or customization, ensuring that you can quickly build inspection apps and see a fast return on investment.
  • Fast time to value. The best inspection apps should provide an immediate value to your organization. There should be clear processes to help you implement and get started with the app platform, with dedicated customer success teams to ensure your organization is getting value from the inspection app.
  • Secure and compliant. The best inspection apps will have robust security for cloud software and will be designed for compliance with HIPPA, GDPR, OSHA, and any other business-specific requirements to ensure data is processed and stored properly.
  • Data integrations and insights. The best inspection apps will integrate with other cloud apps that your business already uses. Analytics and reporting capabilities should be robust to provide business insights in real-time to inform smarter decisions for operations leaders.

When evaluating inspection apps and technology, be sure to take these factors into consideration to ensure that you have tools that can help you scale your business, automate key business processes, and enable your business to work more efficiently.

15 Inspection Apps to Get Started With for Free 

GoCanvas is a leading provider of inspection apps and forms for businesses across industries. Our expansive library of templates is a great place to start when looking for free templates to use for your next inspection. All of our mobile inspection apps are completely customizable and are built on our drag and drop interface that doesn’t require any coding to build apps. 

This article compiles a list of our most popular inspection apps available for businesses in 2021. You can also search the GoCanvas application store for more examples and templates. Follow the links below to see how it works or simply contact our team any time to learn more.

Property and Building Inspections

Vehicle Inspections

  • Pre-Trip Inspection App
  • Vehicle Inspection Mobile App
  • Free Fleet Inspection App

Construction, Manufacturing, and Job Site Inspections

  • Safety Inspection App
  • Heavy Equipment Inspection App
  • Forklift Inspection App
  • Ladder Inspection App
  • Manufacturing Material Inspection App

GoCanvas Inspection Apps 

Home inspection app

man holding tablet performing home inspection

Home inspection apps are used during real estate transactions to assess the state of a property. If you are in the business of performing home inspections, this app allows you to digitize the process of a home inspection. Dynamic checklists help to speed up the process and home inspectors only need to fill out the relevant sections of the form based on the house type. Use the dispatch feature to send out a worker in the field and automatically have a report generated for the buyer and for your office records.

Learn more about the GoCanvas home inspection app and get started for free.

Property Inspection App

Similar to the home inspection app, this property inspection mobile app is designed to assess the state of a property, specifically for landlords or management companies for their rental properties. This checklist inspection app allows property owners, managers, or landlords to easily check the condition of a residential rental property and record that it is in good condition for tenants. Digitizing this information makes it simple to create PDF reports that can automatically be shared with the tenant and the management team has a record stored in a central cloud location for easy access when needed. 

Learn more about the GoCanvas property inspection app and get started for free.

Custodial Inspection App

janitorial work station

Custodial inspection apps are used for janitorial services to denote which areas of the building were cleaned by staff. Using an inspection app can ensure that quality standards are met and simple checklists are helpful for remembering all areas of the building. Digitizing this information can help cleaning businesses to elevate their customer service experience, bring reports, invoices, and a digital record of work that has been performed.

Learn more about the GoCanvas custodial inspection app and get started for free.

Hotel Room Inspection App

Many companies in the hospitality industry leverage the GoCanvas mobile platform to complete their hotel room inspections. This simple app provides a checklist for cleaning crews to perform all of the necessary tasks for servicing guest rooms at a hotel. Managers and hotel management benefit from having this information digitized, giving them more visibility into their operations and helping to understand the overall condition and state of the hotel in real-time.

Learn more about the GoCanvas hotel room inspection app and get started for free.

Fire Alarm Inspection App

Fire alarm and fire sprinkler inspections are common in buildings to ensure that all of the smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and smoke alarms are in working order. This app allows inspectors to perform this inspection using a mobile device or tablet and a report is automatically generated with the results. This streamlines the process for staff and gives instant visibility into fire inspections for management and anyone else that needs the information.

Learn more about the GoCanvas fire alarm inspection app and get started for free.

Pool Inspection App

This app is designed for pool inspectors and public pool managers so they can list safety violations, corrective actions taken, and document any required pool closures. The pool safety inspection app includes fields for a variety of details, including water chemistry, pool water cleanliness, equipment safety and more. Once the inspection is completed, the pool operator can instantly sign off on the results using a tablet or mobile device and have the records saved automatically to the cloud.

Learn more about the GoCanvas pool inspection app and get started for free.

HVAC Inspection App

HVACChecklist

HVAC inspections are needed to ensure the heating and air-conditioning systems are properly configured. This mobile app template includes important elements, including the HVAC ducts, air quality test, exhaust fans, testing for leaks and a thermostat check. 

As a building inspector or contractor, this inspection app simplifies the process for performing residential or commercial services and allows the entire process from work order, inspection, invoicing, payment, and reporting to be managed digitally. 

Learn more about the GoCanvas HVAC inspection app and get started for free.

Pre-Trip / Post Trip Inspection App

The pre-trip and post-trip inspection is performed by drivers with CDL licenses to track details about their trucks and report any damage or improvements that need to be made before the vehicle can go out on the road. Digitizing this form allows commercial truck drivers and managers to ensure that the proper inspection has been performed and signed off digitally to keep an accurate record for management purposes.

Learn more about the GoCanvas pre trip inspection app and get started for free.

Vehicle Inspection App

man holding the key to a new vehicle after inspection

The vehicle inspection app is designed for car dealerships to perform a pre-purchase inspection of a car. This mobile app is designed to digitize the inspection form that is used before vehicles are given to a new owner of a car. GoCanvas vehicle inspection apps can be customized to your needs and this template is a great way for car dealerships and business owners to manage the vehicle inspection process digitally.

Learn more about the GoCanvas vehicle inspection mobile app and get started for free.

Fleet Inspection App

Field inspector on ipad

For transportation companies that have a fleet management program, this inspection app provides a template that can be used for compliance, safety, and preventive maintenance. Managing this digitally allows fleet operations teams to gain greater instant visibility into their fleet with real-time reports.

Learn more about the GoCanvas fleet inspection app and get started for free.

Safety Inspection App

Construction safety helmets hanging on the wall

Safety inspections are an important part of any construction project. This safety inspection app helps contractors and construction firms to ensure compliance with OSHA and perform regular safety inspections of job sites. The data collected from a safety inspection app can be used as part of the safety management program and other important programs like toolbox talks, job safety analysis, incident reports, and more can be managed through GoCanvas for a comprehensive digital safety solution.

Learn more about the GoCanvas safety inspection app and get started for free.

Heavy Equipment Inspection App

construction worker filling out near miss reports on phone

Performing heavy equipment inspections are important on the job site to ensure safety and prevent delays by having greater insight into your equipment. This inspection app provides a template that can be used on job sites and includes all of the important details for the inspection, including the date of safety inspections, issues found, and other relevant details.

Learn more about the GoCanvas heavy equipment inspection app and get started for free.

Forklift Inspection App

man using tablet on construction site for safety

Forklifts are commonly used in many different job sites. The GoCanvas forklift inspection checklist helps ensure safe operation and identifies areas where forklift maintenance may be required. The checklist template covers all areas of the electric forklifts, including fluid levels, tires, forklift trucks, forklift operator safety equipment and more. 

Learn more about the GoCanvas forklift inspection app and get started for free.

Ladder Inspection App

man carrying ladder on job site with safety vest

Ladder inspections are critical for job sites to ensure worker safety. Using the ladder inspection app on GoCanvas, you can make sure that all ladder equipment is in good condition and any damaged equipment is fixed before use. Use this in conjunction with the other GoCanvas safety apps to ensure that all aspects of the job site are compliant with OSHA and injuries and incidents are avoided.

Learn more about the GoCanvas ladder inspection app and get started for free.

Manufacturing Material Inspection App

This mobile app is designed for quality inspections when items arrive or they are taken out of inventory as part of the manufacturing operations. The app is designed as a quality control tool to be used from anywhere and have a digital report generated automatically to simplify the process for workers and eliminate tedious paper work.

Learn more about the GoCanvas manufacturing material inspection app and get started for free.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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3 Reasons to Invest in Safety Apps for Construction

Posted on by Danny Kanev

3 Reasons to Invest in Safety Apps for Construction

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Safety programs managed on paper are difficult to track. That’s why construction companies are going digital with their safety programs to gain more visibility into safety and track compliance. With digital training or toolbox talks, employees have an easier time accessing information through mobile devices. A digital record is created for documentation purposes within a safety meeting app.

Beyond safety meetings, apps for contractors can act as a comprehensive safety management solution. With robust reporting that’s visible in real-time, organizations can address potential hazards and limit OSHA violations and fines. 

This article covers some of the top reasons why construction companies and contractors are moving away from paper-based processes to modern, construction project management apps and digital operations using safety apps.

#1 Modern Operations

Safety apps like GoCanvas are designed to empower businesses of all sizes to completely digitize their operations and business processes. There are many components of a safety program that can be moved away from paper sheets, including things like incident reporting, inspections, safety data sheets, safety meetings, job safety analysis, and much more.

Safety apps for the construction industry take these paper-based processes and convert them into digital programs that are completely accessible to employees via a mobile device on a job site or on a computer.

Making this type of investment in digital technologies is good for workers and the company’s bottom line. 

For businesses, investing in worker safety means lower direct and insurance costs, lower legal fees, more competitive bids, and better overall company performance. An article from Construction Executive even cited that an effective safety program “will increase business value and return between $2 and $6 for every $1 invested in injury prevention.” 

And for employees, an investment in digital apps brings a modern solution for construction safety. This helps to formalize the programs, makes them accessible for everyone, and promotes best practices in the workplace. All of this can lead to greater employee satisfaction in the long run when employees see a clear investment in programs that benefit their well-being. 

#2 Greater Insight into Safety Trends

Data and analytics have historically been underutilized in the construction industry. Research from FMI suggests that 96% of data in the construction industry goes unused.

With mobile apps for safety, construction firms and contractors can have a better understanding of the data that is collected across job sites, automatically rolling this information up for easy reporting. 

The end result is time saved on manually manipulating data for reporting purposes and greater insights into trends. A survey of GoCanvas customers found that going digital with forms and apps for construction has saved their teams 50+ hours per week that was historically spent on manually creating reports.

When thinking about greater insights and visibility into the business, take safety meetings as an example. 

By digitizing safety meetings through apps, management can get real-time visibility into who has attended required safety training and which job sites are underperforming compared to others, in terms of compliance.

Having the data rolled up instantly for analytics and the ability to drill down into specific job sites or other demographic data can be incredibly useful for spotting safety trends, so your organization can take the appropriate next steps.

#3 Ensure Compliance and Lower Risk 

Safety apps are designed to help construction companies and contractors stay in compliance with OSHA and other regulations. 

With digital and mobile apps for safety, GoCanvas customers have reported and 18% reduction in their risk and liability. Some of the most common risks with paper forms are data loss, errors on paper forms, and missing or lost information.

Moving from paper to mobile apps can make your OSHA compliance efforts much easier and more effective. With digital technology you can:

  •  Enter data in real-time and that data is not only stored in the cloud but can be immediately shared with a supervisor or manager, minimizing response times
  • Create a variety of inspection checklists for various tasks and sites – all accessible from a smartphone or tablet
  • Update your mobile apps as OSHA guidelines evolve and change to reflect changes and immediately deploy the information across your organization

Your mobile safety apps will help to ensure that your business is in compliance with the latest regulations and employees won’t have to rely on paper sheets and inefficient processes.

To learn more about digital apps for safety, check out the GoCanvas website and sign up for a free trial of our no-code platform with app templates designed for the construction industry. Go digital with safety apps for incident reports, inspections, safety data sheets, safety meetings, job safety analysis, and more.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Ultimate Guide to Safety Management Software for Construction

Posted on by Danny Kanev

Ultimate Guide to Safety Management Software for Construction

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Construction firms rely on paper forms to complete many essential tasks on job sites. But anyone that’s had to fill out paperwork knows how inefficient, error-prone, and time-consuming the process can be for everyone involved. That’s why organizations are moving to construction jobsite management software and mobile forms to alleviate these concerns.

Going from paper to digital software and forms allows construction companies to:

  • Avoid losing paperwork. Paper sheets can get lost over time, creating additional risk for the business when information is misplaced or accidentally destroyed. Going digital keeps information secure in the cloud and available in real-time whenever it’s needed.
  • Limit human error. Paper sheets or spreadsheets can open companies up to human error with mispellings, deleted or missing information, and much more. Going digital allows companies to require what information is submitted, leading to better data quality and standardization.
  • Save time and money. Considering the direct and indirect costs to a business from paper usage, companies can save time and money by switching to digital forms and software. Automate processes, streamline workflows, and reduce the time everyone spends on busywork.

There is a very compelling business case for construction firms to embrace digitization with software and mobile forms. With the amount of paper and forms needed for safety management programs, there is a significant advantage for firms that can digitize their operations.

This article explains how safety management software works, with examples of the types of solutions utilized within a safety management program. Continue reading for our guide to the types of safety management software and forms that are available to construction firms today.

Use Cases for Safety Management Software and Forms

Incident Reporting

Construction firms use incident reports to formally document any accidents, events, or near-misses in the workplace.

Software and forms are designed to help companies capture information from the job site when incidents happen. The technology helps to document the incident and create a report detailing the events that occurred. This type of solution is used in situations like damage to company property, injuries, safety issues, misconduct, and other types of incident reporting. 

Going digital with incident reporting simplifies the process for everyone involved.

Templates can be customized with the exact information that needs to be collected on every incident report. Companies can create unique digital forms for the various types of workplace incidents that occur.

Software solutions are designed to significantly cut down the time it takes to create a report. Reports are typically generated automatically so they can be distributed in real-time via email to OSHA, management, and anyone else that needs the information.

Companies chose to use this type of software and forms for incident reporting to streamline workflows for employees and give greater visibility into operations for management.

Mobile Inspections

Inspections happen during the entire lifecycle of construction projects to make sure that safety standards are being met. While paper forms can be used for inspections, there are many benefits to going digital with software and forms for inspections.

Most inspection software will allow companies to build checklists, conduct inspections, and file all reports from a mobile device or tablet on the job site. This helps to streamline the process for inspectors by giving them a standard set of criteria to look for in the inspection. All of the data for reporting is collected using required fields that ensure data is formatted correctly. 

Digital inspection software can also enable businesses to use a dispatching feature to send workers in the field to the correct locations. The entire inspection process can be recorded digitally, signed off on with digital signatures, and saved in the cloud to be accessed by whoever needs to see it. 

Software and forms for inspections give companies greater accountability and visibility into their operations, allowing management to spot trends and look for ways to improve their safety management programs in real-time.

Safety Meetings

Construction safety meetings are held regularly as group discussions that focus on one specific safety issue. Companies typically hold these meetings on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis.

Effective safety meetings can deliver significant and proven safety and cost benefits to an organization. Implementing safety meetings can help to decrease insurance rates, legal costs, employee turnover, damaged equipment, and medical costs.

Construction firms can use safety management software to formalize their safety meeting programs across job sites.

With software for safety meetings, your team can complete safety documentation from any mobile phone or tablet. Using required attendance logs, you can collect the names and IDs of every employee at each worksite to ensure they are present for the latest safety information. 

Companies can also capture details related to the job site location, project manager, as well as date and time stamps for every briefing. An integrated signature capture field means employees can verify their attendance and signatures can be collected from a foreman or any other safety representative who makes an onsite visit.

Using software and forms for safety meetings helps to ensure that compliance measures are met for every meeting and management teams get greater visibility into overall safety trends. 

Job Safety Analysis

Job Safety Analysis is a step-by-step procedure that splits each job into manageable training tasks, identifies the safety components in each task, and trains employees on how to avoid safety hazards.

Job safety analysis pinpoints specific areas that have potential safety risks and helps you keep your workers safe. It also helps your company become compliant with safety guidelines thus reducing your employee turnover and instilling trust in your customers. 

Software and forms for JSA are helpful for construction companies to cover safety procedures on job sites, including personal protective equipment, safety training, and machinery safety. The construction safety analysis can be customized to suit the unique needs of a company. 

Job safety analysis is another important component of safety programs and going digital can help to streamline the process across construction job sites.

Safety Data Sheets

For companies that manufacture, distribute, or import chemicals, safety data sheets are required to inform employees of the hazardous materials they are handling. 

As more companies invest in digitization, it means that companies are moving towards housing much of their critical information in secure, cloud-based platforms using software and mobile forms. 

When it comes to SDSs, OSHA indicates that safety data sheets can absolutely be stored as digital documents. OSHA just requires that these SDSs are easily accessible for all employees who need to understand the hazardous chemicals that are being used for their job site. 

Having these documents stored digitally and made available through a mobile application will help your team manage the documents and ensure that your workers know where to find the latest version of the SDS. 

In the rare case of a power outage or emergency situation, it makes sense to have a hard copy of your SDS available for workers. But otherwise in today’s digitally connected world, it’s going to make sense to have digital copies available for your SDSs that can be readily accessible in a secure mobile device on-site.

Analytics

Data analytics is quickly becoming one of the greatest assets for improving productivity, ensuring safety and compliance, and tracking and reporting on key elements of business operations.

Another key component of a safety management solution using is the ability to have analytics and data insights available.

This type of software solution is helpful for providing meaningful insights in real-time. Instead of compiling information on paper forms and manually creating reports for analytics, companies are adopting this type of analytics solution as part of their technology stack.

Having this type of insight into the business helps inform decision-making for management and operations, giving unprecedented insights into where there are opportunities to improve.

Software and Forms with GoCanvas for Construction

GoCanvas is a mobile platform that makes it simple for businesses to automate how work is done, replacing outdated processes and expensive paperwork. The GoCanvas App works on smartphones and tablets, helping companies easily collect information across their organization, share it instantly with others, and gain real-time insight into their business. Construction firms rely on GoCanvas to increase productivity, promote workplace safety, and create a competitive advantage. You can learn more about all of our safety management software solutions and forms here on our website.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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6 Benefits of Inspection Apps for Business

Posted on by Danny Kanev

6 Benefits of Inspection Apps for Business

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Many companies are starting to use inspection apps to streamline this process for employees that need to perform regular inspections as part of their job duties.

The typical inspection involves filling out a series of forms or checklists to record all of the relevant information. The next step in the process involves creating a report with all of the information compiled for distribution to anyone that needs it.

There’s really a wide range of use cases for these apps, including:

  • Real estate transactions
  • Safety inspections
  • Building inspections
  • Machinery or equipment inspections
  • Vehicle inspections
  • And much more

What are the benefits of an inspection app?

Historically, companies used paper forms as the primary mode of collecting data, but more firms are beginning to move away from paper-based processes. Companies are now switching to digital apps that can simplify the process for everyone involved and eliminate the headaches of using paper forms.

Bringing the process into the digital world is beneficial to organizations in a number of different ways. Here are some of the key benefits:

  • Business efficiencies: Inspectors are able to perform their jobs better and faster on mobile apps. They can collect photos and text notes that are recorded digitally and the reports can be generated automatically for them.
  • Standard data: One important factor is the ability to standardize how the data is collected, with reports that are consistent regardless of who performs the inspection.
  • Improved processes: Businesses need visibility into their operations in real-time. Technology today allows you to track issues in the field and have a quick turnaround time if another action needs to be taken, like scheduling further maintenance or repairs, for example.

6 key features available in inspection apps

There are many reasons to switch to a mobile app instead of using paper. Since apps are designed to be used on a mobile device or tablet, you get some advanced features with the technology that simply isn’t possible using paper.

Here are some of the features you gain when using an app for inspections:

1. Integrated with iOS or android camera for image capture

Many inspections require that you document items with images. Since mobile devices have powerful cameras built-in, inspections performed using the app can streamline taking photos and adding them to the report. Images are captured in real-time and can be associated with specific inspection items. An added feature is the ability to annotate images and highlight any problem areas.

2. Offline functionality

The ability to do work offline is an important feature for many business types. There are many people that need to perform inspections in areas that do not have an internet connection (such as a rural area or a basement). Inspection apps can collect and store the data while offline while you are on site. Once you are able to access the internet again, the app will sync everything back up to the cloud.

3. Cloud-based technology

The cloud-based technology of inspection apps is a benefit for businesses today. With data that is stored securely in the cloud, you can have peace of mind that your data is always backed up and easily accessible from anywhere.

Inspection software platforms should have a high level of IT security infrastructure built-in and should also have compliance for things like GDPR and HIPPA requirements.

Modern technology has come a long way to ensuring that your business can effectively operate online using tools that are readily available to businesses of all sizes.

4. ​​​​Reports in real-time

The ability to report on data in near real-time is a big reason to switch to apps versus paper. Creating a report on paper often takes additional time and slows down getting that information into the hands of people that need it.

When you create an inspection using an app, it files the report automatically and submits the report to all of the required recipients without creating additional work. This saves time and effort for inspectors by allowing them to finish their work and simply press the submit button to generate a report.

Most inspection apps use templates as a starting point and you can customize the templates to be consistent with your company’s brand and unique needs.

5. GPS functionality

Another built-in feature of a mobile device is your GPS functionality. This gives you the ability to verify the exact location of the property, equipment, vehicle, or item that’s undergoing inspection. 

Location tracking can be an added benefit for companies that really need to understand the precise location of something to do their jobs more efficiently.

Companies that want to automate their processes can also consider using location data in the field to streamline other tasks, like automatically generating work orders or other types of follow-up tasks that need to be performed.

6. Automation to streamline workflows

With automation tools built into inspection apps, it’s all about working smarter and reducing the amount of manual work your teams need to do.

Using these tools, you can automatically generate any of the follow-up actions that need to be performed after an inspection occurs. Depending on your business, you might have different use cases for how this would work. Most often it involves integrating your different cloud tools and systems you have in place to communicate with one another.

You can also think of automation in the form of push notifications or email notifications that are designed to alert different people after the inspection occurs. In today’s digitally connected world, you should always look for applications that can help to automate tasks and streamline your workflows to save you valuable time.

Inspection templates for your use case

Looking for a specific inspection template for your business? Make sure to check out our library of pre-built templates in the GoCanvas app store that can help you get started for free.

Our app builder requires no coding or advanced technical knowledge, which means you can build and customize your apps to fit your exact needs. Check out the GoCanvas website here for additional resources and templates for all of your inspection needs.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

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Getting Started with Health Screening Apps

Posted on by Danny Kanev

Getting Started with Health Screening Apps

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Health screening is an essential undertaking for many businesses and workplaces to promote public health. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised the importance of health screening and it has become a necessary component for many companies and organizations to continue their operations today. 

Some of the actions that fall into this category are the daily screening of employees, health checks of visitors, health questionnaires, and regular logging of visitors for contract tracing purposes.

Many businesses are turning to health screening apps like GoCanvas to keep their customers and employees safe with digital tools that are designed to protect everyone’s best interests. Continue reading this article to learn how these apps work and additional resources to get you started.

How health screening apps improve businesses and work environments

Health screening apps are powerful tools that can help to promote the health and wellness of the general public, including your employees and customers. These tools are designed to support new processes and procedures that are needed for your business to stay open and to ensure that you stay in compliance with regulations and maintain safety protocols for everyone.

GoCanvas health screening tools are deployed as mobile apps, where people can work on iPhones, Androids, or desktop applications to submit the required information. Mobile technologies today are widely adopted by the general public, making them easy to adopt and providing a secure platform that is HIPPA compliant. The result is a comprehensive screening solution that gives you the tools you need to protect your business and promote safety.

What are the different kinds of health screening apps?

There are many types of health screening apps available, some that target a specific virus like COVID-19 and others that are more generalized. Typically you will see that health screening apps include things like questionnaires, checklists, logs, risk assessment, screening forms, self-assessments, and other forms used as screening solutions. 

Primarily, health screening apps are used by corporate offices or businesses. They’re also being used by government agencies, schools, restaurants, and other similar types of commercial environments. Since GoCanvas’ platform is HIPAA compliant, these apps are also viable options for healthcare providers and medical offices, in addition to commercial organizations.  

For more information on different kinds of apps, you can search in the GoCanvas app store to see the various types of health and infectious disease-related apps that are available to get started with for free.

Uses for health screening apps

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the primary use case today for health screening apps is to identify exposure and detect potential coronavirus symptoms for people entering public spaces or businesses.

In addition to screening, these apps can also have automation built-in for notifications. These features can help to notify other employees about a potential exposure if they have been near someone who reports a positive test, symptoms, or exposure.

The pandemic has made screening apps necessary for resuming many activities in our daily lives, and the public has become increasingly aware of the need to comply with screening to promote public health. 

Beyond COVID-19, health screening apps can be applied for similar health and public safety scenarios that would require an organization to perform this type of check.

Using health screening apps for COVID-19 screening

Many businesses have been relying on health screening apps during the COVID-19 pandemic to reopen safely and in compliance with state and federal mandates. Health screening apps help slow the spread of COVID-19, enable contact tracing for visitors, and encourage employees who are not feeling well to stay home rather than coming to work while potentially ill.

As vaccines become more available to the general public, using these apps can also provide an effective screening solution for companies that need to have a vaccination log. 

This gives companies the ability to limit entry to spaces for people who are either fully vaccinated or those who can pass specific screening measures such as temperature checks or COVID-19 symptom self-assessments. Ultimately, it’s up to businesses and individuals to stay in compliance with any of the regulations in their states and health screening apps are designed to empower organizations with tools that are needed for this purpose.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that we approach daily health monitoring. Businesses and human resources departments are deciding how to implement new employee health screening procedures to take temperatures, evaluate symptoms, and identify close contact or exposures.

Many types of organizations will want to implement health screening apps for things like religious ceremonies, gatherings at educational institutions, concerts and venues, events, and more. These apps for real-time health monitoring can help provide the needed tools to perform contact tracing, symptom self-reporting, and temperature checks.

Businesses are closely monitoring the situation in their states and will continue to rely on health screening apps to prevent further spread of the disease and to promote the health and safety of their employees and customers.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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How Digital Construction Inspections Improve Safety

Posted on by Danny Kanev

How Digital Construction Inspections Improve Safety

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Why are construction inspections required?

Construction inspections are performed during all phases of a project to ensure that health and safety standards are being met. Employee health and safety is a top priority for construction companies and there are regulations in place set by OSHA to ensure compliance.

In addition to the inspections that companies perform, OSHA also performs their own inspections of construction sites that can happen at any time to review compliance and issue any penalties or fines.

With the sheer volume of construction sites, it means that OSHA has to prioritize where they are performing inspections. According to the OSHA fact sheet on inspections, they prioritize based on a specific set of criteria:

  • When they hear of imminent danger situations
  • When severe injuries and illnesses are reported
  • When workers complain anonymously
  • When various agencies or organizations refer potential hazards
  • When workplaces are known historically to be high hazard
  • When they are performing a follow-up inspection

The prioritization of inspections is effective to incentivize employers that follow the rules and implement health and safety best practices. The goal is to have thorough construction inspection processes in place so that you are identifying issues, or your employees feel like they can come to you first with their concerns, and issues can be appropriately addressed. Having these processes in place is good for your employees’ health and safety, as well as your company’s productivity and bottom line.

Benefits of Using Mobile Apps for Construction Inspections

The traditional method for performing a construction inspection has been on paper forms. But anyone who has dealt with paper forms knows how inefficient that process can be. Some of the pitfalls of paper forms include:

  • Lost or misplaced forms buried in filing cabinets
  • Human error when filling out the form
  • Incomplete or inaccurate data that causes issues later
  • Sustainability concerns with heavy usage of paper

The current shift in the construction industry is a move toward digital transformation, where documents live as secure files in the cloud and can be filled out via mobile devices on construction sites. 

You can see how this type of solution solves the challenge of paper forms, ensuring that documents are easy to find, are filled out properly, and are in line with sustainable practices, reducing paper usage. 

With all of this information now available in real-time, another win for construction companies is the ability to analyze the data to understand safety trends and to have the necessary reports available when they are needed most.

Data and analytics have been slow for adoption in the construction industry, but data analytics is quickly becoming one of the greatest assets for improving productivity, ensuring safety and compliance, and tracking and reporting on key elements of business operations.

The Top 10 OSHA Violations in 2021

A recent article from Health and Safety magazine cited data from OSHA that summarizes their annual report of the top 10 health and safety violations. Below is a summary of the data for the construction industry violations in FY 2021:

  1.     Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 5,295 violations
  2.     Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,527 violations
  3.     Ladders (1926.1053): 2,026 violations
  4.     Scaffolding (1926.451): 1,948 violations
  5.     Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 1,947 violations
  6.     Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 1,698 violations
  7.     Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,666 violations
  8.     Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,452 violations
  9.     Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,420 violations
  10.     Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,113 violations

OSHA reveals this data to create awareness around the top hazards in the workplace so that employers can proactively address health and safety issues that are very much preventable. In the next section, we will cover how you can improve construction health and safety programs with digital construction inspections that can help to minimize your risk from the top 10 violations cited by OSHA.

Apps and Templates for Construction Inspections

Leveraging digital technologies and the use of mobile apps can help you formalize your safety management programs. It will help you store inspection and training records in case you need to show documentation, helping you to stay compliant and avoid fines.

A benefit of using GoCanvas for your safety management program is that we have hundreds of pre-built construction inspection templates, checklists, and incident reports that your company can leverage and customize to fit your unique needs.

To minimize the most common OSHA violations, check out our list of construction inspection apps and templates that we have compiled for you to get started.

Construction Inspection apps and templates:

Additional templates for construction inspections

In addition to this list on health and safety, there are other types of construction inspections that your organization should be aware of, including ones for quality control, building inspections, and much more. The top 10 list is a great place to start, but if you are looking for additional construction inspections, checklists, or reports, you can find them through the GoCanvas application store.

With the current competitive landscape of construction and the tight margins that exist, every company should prioritize ways to keep their workforce productive. Leveraging technologies like GoCanvas to improve your health and safety programs will lead to lower risk to your company and greater profit margins over time.

Try GoCanvas for free today
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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

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16 Construction Safety Stats to Know in 2021

Posted on by Danny Kanev

16 Construction Safety Stats to Know in 2021

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Why is construction safety important?

The construction industry tops the list when it comes to workplace injuries and fatalities, even with tightened safety regulations over the years. It’s important for companies to prioritize construction safety to minimize these risks and keep employees safe. When employees are safe, it strengthens your company’s reputation, and it leads to greater employee satisfaction and retention over time.

Here are some key stats that put into perspective the importance of construction safety:

  1. About 20% of worker fatalities per year in private industry were in construction – accounting for one in five worker deaths for the year
  2. More than half of the fatalities resulted from what OSHA calls the “Fatal Four” (falls, being struck by an object, electrocutions, and getting caught in or between equipment or objects)
  3. Eliminating construction industry deaths from the “Fatal Four” could save more than 582 U.S. workers’ lives every year, given that the death toll stems largely from non-compliance with safety regulations
  4. Businesses spend $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses — expenditures that come straight out of company profits

How daily construction safety meetings can help

Safety meetings and training will help you keep in compliance with OSHA standards that require employers to talk to employees about safety. Many construction companies are holding daily safety meetings, also known as toolbox talks, that cover the key areas that employees need to be trained on.

By implementing regular safety meetings on different topics, you’ll likely see a decrease in the number of accidents on site. Here are some key findings on how these daily meetings can help:

  1. Companies that host safety meetings once a month have a total recordable incident rate (TRIR, a statistic you can calculate and compare to industry averages) four times higher than those that hold them daily
  1. Holding daily toolbox talks reduces a company’s DART (days away, restricted, or transferred) rate by 66 percent compared to monthly talks.
  2. Implementing a safety program can reduce injury and illness costs by 20-40%.

How construction safety impacts productivity

Prioritizing safety leads to greater productivity in the construction industry. Given the state of the construction industry in 2021, companies will need to maximize their productivity in order to stay competitive and ensure projects are completed on schedule for customers.

Here are some key findings on the impact of safety on productivity:

  1. The productivity lost from workplace injuries and illnesses costs an additional $60 billion yearly
  2. The median number of days away from work because of a job-related injury or illness in construction is 10 days.
  3. Companies with good health and safety programs outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 index in Australia by 24.9 percent. Companies that didn’t have those programs underperformed.

Ensure compliance and avoid costly fines

The construction industry is one of the most frequently inspected by OSHA and they can visit a worksite at any time for an inspection. Employers that have strong safety management programs in place ensure that they are in compliance with OSHA standards, and they are less likely to be fined.

Here are some important stats on OSHA violations and fines:

  1. OSHA’s maximum penalty for a “serious” violation is $13,653 per violation
  2. The OSHA fine for a “willful or repeated violation” is $136,532 per violation
  3. The fine for a violation that causes an injury but not a death (what OSHA defines as an “other than serious” violation) is $13,653. In the tragic event that an employee’s life is lost, violations become criminal offenses and can carry fines of up to half a million dollars.

Impact of safety on insurance premiums

Another benefit of focusing on safety is that you avoid more accidents, which in turn can lower your company’s insurance costs. Workers’ compensation premiums are calculated by taking the rate that is set based on the class of employee and multiplying it by an experience modification rating (EMR). The EMR adjusts premiums based on your previous three years of injury records.

Lowering the number of incidents will help to keep your costs down, and here are a few noteworthy stats about insurance premiums in the construction industry:

  1. Employers in the construction industry spend about $1 per hour per employee on workers’ comp, compared to the national average of $.45 per hour per employee for all other industries
  2. Employers pay almost $1 billion a week in workers’ compensation costs alone
  3. A small improvement in your EMR can translate into a 10-20% reduction in insurance premiums.

There are also many indirect costs of claims, including lost productivity, cost to hire replacement workers, and administrative costs to handle the claims.

Comprehensive safety management for construction

The data makes it very clear that construction companies and their employees benefit when the organization is invested in safety programs. Investing in a solution like GoCanvas makes it easy for companies to track and report on their safety programs in near real-time.

Our safety management solution is customizable to meet your business needs and it includes several pre-built safety forms, including Toolbox Talks, Incident Reports, and Job Safety Analysis.

One interesting (and final) stat to share is that GoCanvas customers report reducing their risk and liability by 18%. You can get started for free with GoCanvas to see how mobile apps and forms can make your safety program more effective.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Smarter, Faster, Safer: Improving Safety Compliance with Mobile Technology

Compliance, there are many ways we talk about it. A necessary evil, a chore, a struggle, or a critically important part of business. We all know how crucial it is, helping save…

Read the eBook
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Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

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What are the Main Stages and Processes of Incident Reporting?

Posted on by Danny Kanev

What are the Main Stages and Processes of Incident Reporting?

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Incident reports are effective tools to promote safety in the workplace. You want to do everything in your power to fill out your incident reports as professionally and effectively as possible. We have compiled a thorough list of the main incident reporting stages so you can ensure you’re taking every step to foster a culture of safety in the workplace. Here are the main stages and processes to consider for incident reporting: 

1. Initial response and disclosure 

You should begin the process of incident reporting as soon as an incident or near-miss occurs. Your initial responses should include administering any medical aid that’s necessary, containing spills, and calling the authorities if needed.

You should also contact your company leadership team so they’re aware of the situation and can begin reporting protocols right away. Your leadership team will ensure other team members have left the danger zone and are out of harm’s way.

You can then begin formal documentation once you’ve secured everyone’s safety and notified supervisors. 

2. Preserve and document the scene 

You will need to start your incident reporting by getting formal and accurate documentation immediately after the event has occurred.

You will first want to make sure that your teams have shut down any equipment and that any hazards or spills have been contained. As soon as it’s safe to do so, you will need to preserve the scene of the incident and begin recording the details of the event by taking photographs and videos of the scene.

You will want to begin your documentation before equipment or other materials have been moved for clean-up purposes so that you are getting an accurate picture of the scene. In some instances, you may also want to use tape or cones to prevent team members from compromising the scene before you have had a chance to fully document the incident. 

It’s critical that you record as many details as possible so the investigative team can have the most complete picture of what happened and what led to the event. Here are a few important details that you will want to include when surveying the scene:

  1. Equipment involved in the incident
  2. Cleanliness of the area as well as obvious hazards, such as spills
  3. Weather conditions 
  4. Lighting and noise
  5. The presence or lack of safety guards and safety equipment
  6. General location, date, and time of the incident

3. Gather witness testimony 

Gathering witness testimony is one of the most crucial components of incident reporting and interviewing witnesses in a timely manner will increase your chances of acquiring accurate details about the event. You can move toward collecting information from witnesses once you have finished documenting the scene of the event.

Contact the supervisor to get the names and contact information from anyone that was present and promptly begin interviewing the witnesses. You don’t want to delay these interviews because it’s possible that the memories of witnesses can become blurred with the passage of time – particularly in the case of a traumatic accident or near-miss.

To help you maximize your witness interviews, here are some helpful tips to consider:

  • When possible, conduct your interviews at the scene of the incident to help witnesses remember some of the more minute details of the incident. 
  • Assure witnesses that your job is to gather information and not to place blame. Emphasize that their honesty is crucial to the safety of the workplace and that incident reporting helps to prevent future accidents.
  • Allow witnesses time to think and retell the incident. Ask open-ended questions. 
  • Interview witnesses privately. This gives them the opportunity to recall their own memories of the event and not fall under the influence of another witness’s testimony. 

You should record all this information as thoroughly as possible. In addition to written notes, consider using an audio recorder or filming witness interviews so you don’t miss any crucial details.

It’s best to discuss interview methods with supervisors or leadership before you begin. After an incident, workers might be afraid of providing their testimony, so you will want to make sure they feel safe and supported throughout the process.

4. Complete the form 

You should compile a formal incident report once you’ve gathered all of the pertinent information. OSHA requires workplaces to file incident reports on accidents, injuries, and even near-misses. The administration also provides helpful forms to ensure you record and submit your incident reports correctly. 

5. Report to the authorities 

In certain cases, you will need to submit the report to the appropriate authorities once the report has been completed. For example, this would apply in instances where there’s been a fatality, a hazardous spill, or any other major event where there are statutory requirements for you to disclose this information to the proper authorities. 

6. Determine the causes 

After you file your incident report, you now must work to determine how and why the incident occurred in the first place. This process of investigating a workplace incident is often referred to as a root cause analysis.

You or your investigative team will need to conduct a root cause analysis to locate the gaps in your safety protocols and systems so that you can determine the “root causes” of an incident. OSHA provides a helpful guide for determining the root causes of an incident and this guide outlines helpful questions to ask when executing your investigation.

This guide can help you to consider the incident from multiple viewpoints and ensure you are performing a thorough examination of the incident. 

7. Implement corrective actions 

Once the investigation has been completed, you can start to take steps to prevent a similar incident from occurring again in the future. Your team can implement the corrective actions that are needed to cultivate a culture of workplace safety that’s in the best interest of the organization and its employees. 

The first place to start with your corrective action plan is to understand the safety and quality standards for your workplace. Once you have a solid grasp on these standards, you can begin to plan specific ways of preventing future harm and educating team members on how to practice workplace safety. 

For example, this could be anything from stressing the importance of wearing safety gear to dedicated training on safe equipment use. Your corrective action plans should be tailored to your specific workplace and the weaknesses that you uncovered in the incident investigation. 

Creating a safe and productive workplace

Incident reports are an important part of creating a safe and productive workplace for all your team members. When you take the necessary steps to complete the incident reports, you’re enabling the company to take the appropriate corrective actions, and this will allow the company to be more prepared going forward. At the end of the day, it’s all about doing everything you can to foster a safer working environment for everyone.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Compliance, there are many ways we talk about it. A necessary evil, a chore, a struggle, or a critically important part of business. We all know how crucial it is, helping save…

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We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Let’s Build A Plan Together

Incident Report Examples & Templates

Posted on by Danny Kanev

Incident Report Examples & Templates

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Knowing how to effectively file incident reports is a critical component for companies that want to cultivate their culture of safety at work. Incident reports are designed to document the important details surrounding an accident, incident, or near miss that happens in the workplace. 

These reports are incredibly useful for informing companies on the real gaps that exist in their safety protocols, ultimately allowing them to address these issues by implementing new policies and protocols to prevent future incidents from occurring. 

In this article, we cover three of the most common incident report types and the corresponding report templates that you can use. Continue reading for examples and templates to use when these types of incidents happen at your workplace:

  • Basic Incident Report
  • Field Incident Report
  • Construction Accident Investigation Report

Basic incident report template & sample

If you need a basic template to get started, make sure to check out our basic incident report template that’s free to get started with using the GoCanvas app store. Our template includes the most common information to include in a basic incident report and it can be fully customized to meet your company’s specific requirements.

Picture of an incident report template

What are basic incident reports used for?

Basic incident reports work for a variety of types of incidents, giving you a flexible template that can be used for different types of accidents, near misses, or injuries. A basic incident report template should include all the essential details that you and the investigative teams will need to fill out following the incident. 

How often basic incidents occur 

Wondering how often basic incidents occur? If you look at the most recent findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it shows that the rate of recordable incidents in the private industry was at 2.8 percent among full-time workers. The data shows that nearly 900,000 incidents resulted in lost time when looking across all of the reported incidents in a given year.

Key info for basic incident reports

A basic incident report needs to include all the details the investigative team will need to evaluate during their review, including: 

  • Location, date, and time of the incident
  • Witnesses and their contact information 
  • Witness testimonies 
  • Those involved in the incident
  • Actions that were taken post-incident 
  • Injuries incurred
  • Medical treatment administered 

Field incident report template & sample

When an incident happens in the field a report must be filled out and sent to the proper authorities. Get started for free on the GoCanvas app store, using our field incident report template that allows your field teams to use a mobile device or tablet when submitting their reports.

Picture of a field incident template

What are field incident reports used for? 

You will need to use a field incident report for any work-related injuries that occur offsite or outside of company property. Field incident claims are typically more complicated than claims filed for an on-site incident. With that in mind, you should make sure to be thorough when collecting the details of a field incident to ensure that claims are efficiently processed.

Key info for field incident reports

In addition to all the information included on a basic incident report, field incident reports should also include the location of the accident and the address of the workplace.

Construction accident investigation report template & sample

The perfect tool for any construction company is available through the GoCanvas app store using our construction accident investigation template. Use this resource so that your construction company is prepared when a workplace accident occurs.

Picture of a construction accident template

What are construction accident investigation reports used for?

You know that the construction industry presents a wide range of hazards and dangers. Construction accident investigation reports are crucial to identifying weak points in safety protocols and they can actually help your business establish better safety practices. These reports can help your company and they can also help inform the entire construction industry on how to better minimize injuries on job sites. 

How often construction accidents occur 

If you look at data provided by OSHA, you will see that construction accidents are the most common type of reportable incident and about 20 percent of fatalities in private industry are in construction. The most commonly violated OSHA standard is fall protection, which falls under the construction sector. 

Key info for construction accident reports

In addition to all the information required on a basic incident report form, a construction accident investigation report should also include the name of the contractor, the name of site foreman, and any violations that were issued. 

Additional templates available for all your use cases

Documenting incidents and injuries is crucial for promoting a culture of safety in the workplace. With incident report templates on hand, you’ll be able to document any accidents when they happen, and your team can work to improve its protocols for a safer workplace. 

If you’re looking for additional incident report templates that we didn’t cover in this article, be sure to check out more examples of incident reports in our app store. We have hundreds of pre-built forms to help you get started and our product has a variety of features that will fit all your business needs.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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What are Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)?

Posted on by Danny Kanev

What are Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)?

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What is a SDS and what is its purpose?

The term SDS refers to a Safety Data Sheet that is used by chemical companies to stay in compliance with the regulations set by OSHA in the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Companies that manufacture, distribute, or import chemicals are required to provide Safety Data Sheets to inform workers of the hazardous materials they are handling.

The main purpose of a SDS is to provide companies with a standard template they can use for communicating critical information about their hazardous materials for the safety interests of their workers. 

SDS Information You Should Know

In 2012, OSHA updated the HCS to be aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). It’s important to point out that Safety Data Sheets are part of the legislative process at OSHA, meaning that they can change over time and new amendments can be enacted by the administration. 

The changes that occurred in 2012 were enacted in part to reduce trade barriers globally for American companies and to provide consistent standards for communicating and classifying hazardous chemicals. As part of these changes, the long-used material data sheets (MSDS) also became obsolete, and companies were forced to move to the new 16-section SDS format to stay in compliance and avoid any applicable fines. 

What’s included in the current 16 section SDS format?

OSHA structures the Safety Data Sheets into 16 sections so that all companies have a standard template to keep things consistent. Each of the sections has a distinct purpose for classifying hazards and below we have included a high-level summary provided by OSHA’s website of what’s included in each section of the Safety Data Sheets.

Sections 1 through 8 

OSHA states that “Sections 1 through 8 contain general information about the chemical, identification, hazards, composition, safe handling practices, and emergency control measures (e.g., fire fighting). This information should be helpful to those that need to get the information quickly.” 

  • Section 1: Identification
  • Section 2: Hazard(s) Identification
  • Section 3: Composition/Information on Ingredients
  • Section 4: First-Aid Measures
  • Section 5: Fire-Fighting Measures
  • Section 6: Accidental Release Measures
  • Section 7: Handling and Storage
  • Section 8: Exposure Controls/Personal Protection

Sections 9 through 11 and 16

OSHA states that “Sections 9 through 11 and 16 contain other technical and scientific information, such as physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity information, toxicological information, exposure control information, and other information including the date of preparation or last revision. The SDS must also state that no applicable information was found when the preparer does not find relevant information for any required element.”

  • Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties
  • Section 10: Stability and Reactivity
  • Section 11: Toxicological Information
  • Section 12: Ecological Information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 13: Disposal Considerations (non-mandatory)
  • Section 14: Transport Information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 15: Regulatory Information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 16: Other Information

Why are sections 12 through 15 labeled as non-mandatory?

As we mentioned earlier in this article, the 2012 changes to the SDS format were designed to bring more consistency between the SDS format and the globally recognized GHS standards. That’s why sections 12 through 15 are now included in the template and marked as non-mandatory.

It’s important to note that OSHA “will not enforce the content of these sections because they concern matters handled by other agencies.” While these sections are not mandatory to be in compliance with OSHA standards, it makes sense to use these sections if your company works internationally and also needs to comply with the GHS.

Can a SDS be stored digitally?

As more companies invest in digital transformation initiatives, it means that companies are moving towards housing much of their critical information in secure, cloud-based platforms. When it comes to SDSs, OSHA indicates that safety data sheets can absolutely be stored as digital documents. OSHA just requires that these SDSs are easily accessible for all employees who need to understand the hazardous chemicals that are being used for their job site. 

Another best practice can be to assign a person or team to manage the SDSs and make sure that they are always accessible and up to date. Having these documents stored digitally and made available through a mobile application will help your team manage the documents and ensure that your workers know where to find the latest version of the SDS. 

In the rare case of a power outage or emergency situation, it makes sense to have a hard copy of your SDS available for workers. But otherwise in today’s digitally connected world, it’s going to make sense to have digital copies available for your SDSs that can be readily accessible in a secure mobile device on-site.

Covering SDSs in Safety Toolbox Talks

Toolbox talks are a great way to educate your workers on best practices in the workplace by sharing everything they need to know on staying compliant with regulations for jobs and projects. You can use these daily safety meetings as an opportunity to review the SDSs, covering how to find them and how to interpret the information that is provided, making sure to highlight the potential risks involved with chemicals on site. 

Your leadership team may also want to consider implementing a safety management solution to help manage compliance with OSHA and to ensure your employees have access to the latest data sheets.

By moving these processes online, it will also allow you to analyze which employees and job sites have actually completed the training programs, so you can identify and address any potential issues before they result in an accident or fines.  

Safety Data Sheet examples and templates

If you are looking for free SDSs sheets, you may be interested in the GoCanvas app store where we have built out safety data sheet examples and templates that you can use as a starting point.

Companies that deal with potentially hazardous materials are starting to implement chemical management programs and mobile applications have proven to be effective for tracking and managing these programs. 

Our safety data sheet templates can be used to contain a range of information about chemicals and materials being handled. They are meant to communicate to the reader any protective equipment needed when handling the chemicals or materials, hazard communications such as signage or pictograms, information about hazardous substances that may make up component materials or ingredients of the subject of the SDS, and how to handle spills or exposure to hazardous material.

Construction companies that move to GoCanvas have found that it helps them track and report on their safety programs in real-time, giving them a better place to manage their SDSs and helping to improve the health and safety initiatives at their workplaces.

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About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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