Safety Management Systems (SMS): A Beginner’s Guide

Workplace safety is not just about following rules—it’s a systematic approach to preventing accidents and ensuring a secure environment for everyone.

Safety Management System (SMS) is a comprehensive framework designed to manage safety risks and develop a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you’re new to the concept or looking to understand it better, this guide will break down the essentials of SMS, its benefits, key features, and much more.

A Safety Management System (SMS) is an organized approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies, and procedures. Its proactive system is designed to identify hazards and mitigate risks before they lead to incidents. Consequential increase in productivity and quality control with AI for EHS monitoring follows.

viAct’s Safety Management System (SMS) is an advanced AI-powered EHS monitoring software where the use of advanced tools such as Generative AI, computer vision, and AI video analytics are done.

The use of SMS can benefit different industries such as construction, manufacturing, oil & gas, and mining to attain EHS compliance and design a technologically sound monitoring space for workplace safety.

Implementing an AI-powered Safety Management System offers numerous benefits that go beyond just keeping people safe. Here are some of the key advantages:

1. Proactive Hazard Identification: An SMS helps organizations identify potential hazards before they result in accidents, minimizing risks and preventing costly incidents.

2. Improved Compliance: An SMS ensures that EHS managers meet regulatory compliance requirements, reducing the likelihood of fines and legal issues.

3. Enhanced Safety Culture: By promoting a safety-first mindset, an SMS encourages employees to prioritize workplace safety in their daily activities.

4. Operational Efficiency: A well-implemented SMS can streamline processes, reducing downtime and operational disruptions due to accidents.

5. Better Decision-Making: With real-time data and analytics, an SMS provides valuable insights that support informed decision-making by safety teams and strategic planning.

viAct’s Safety Management System incorporates three major areas of lookout.

• Proactive Safety Monitoring

• Incident Risk Management and Response

• Risk-Based Training and Compliance Management

The EHS monitoring software integrates the process of safety management in three stages equipped with advanced algorithms and surveillance.

By utilizing cameras and algorithms, the system continuously scans the environment to detect potential hazards, unsafe worker behaviors, danger zone intrusion alerts, PPE compliance issues, vehicle or machinery collisions, fire & explosions including slips, trips &falls.

The Digital Permit to Work (PTW) System offered by the health and safety management software simplifies the complex process of managing work permits. The user-friendly mobile access feature allows for quick permit approvals, ensuring that safety protocols are not delayed due to administrative bottlenecks.

With Predictive Safety Analytics, the EHS Risk Management solution takes safety management to the next level. The system uses historical data to forecast potential safety hazards such as equipment malfunction or bad weather conditions.

The use of a Safety Management System helps the EHS teams to improve the ESG scores through environmental monitoring. From dump truck management and illegal dumping detection to monitoring pollution levels, sustainability goals can be easier to achieve.

Incident Reporting & Analysis is revolutionized with AI video analytics that allows incidents to be captured and documented with video evidence, providing clarity and context for investigations.

viAct’s AI-powered safety management software reduces the time for root cause analysis from 3 hours to 3 minutes. Automated Safety Audits and Inspections streamline the traditionally labor-intensive audit processes. viAct’s AI-powered audits using the centralized management platform can conduct comprehensive automated inspections without human intervention.

Emergency Response and Management in critical conditions like gas leaks, fires, unauthorized access, safety breaches, or thefts enables rapid intervention. Additionally, the safety management system helps safety teams with evacuation assistance by guiding workers through the safest evacuation routes in real-time, based on the current conditions and occupancy levels.

This proactive approach ensures swift and safe evacuation during emergencies, minimizing the risk to workers.

viAct’s Generative AI safety chatbot, viGent is powered by Large Language Modelling (LLM) and provides real-time support for safety managers and workers, addressing queries, offering guidance, and navigating complex safety protocols effortlessly.

Safety Training and Compliance Management are made more efficient and personalized with Generative AI-based customized learning modules. These modules are tailored to individual roles and past performance, ensuring that each employee receives targeted training relevant to their specific safety needs and industry.

The seamless integration of the safety management software into the existing systems of a worksite makes it hassle-free and ready to use. The intuitive dashboard offers a centralized view of all EHS monitoring data, making it easier for EHS managers to monitor trends, analyze performance, and respond to safety challenges swiftly.

1. AI video analytics in construction safety monitors high-risk areas like scaffolding and tower cranes to ensure PPE compliance and reduce fall risks.

2. In manufacturing, the Safety Management System detects equipment failures and monitors scheduled maintenance, preventing injuries and production downtime.

3. The safety management software tracks worker movements in confined spaces in mining, ensuring compliance with protocols and detecting hazardous conditions like low oxygen levels.

4. In the oil and gas sector, an AI-powered EHS monitoring system alerts workers to unauthorized entry in red zones around drilling rigs, preventing accidents in high-risk areas.

The versatile nature of viAct’s Safety Management System helps to cater to different industry needs and equips modern EHS managers with AI for workplace safety.

Implementation of SMS typically involves several steps: conducting a thorough risk assessment, developing policies and procedures, training staff, utilizing technology for EHS monitoring, and continuously evaluating the system’s effectiveness. Each sector can customize these steps based on specific regulatory requirements and operational needs of their sector.

An SMS enhances quality by promoting a proactive workplace safety culture, reducing workplace incidents, and ensuring compliance with safety standards. This leads to fewer disruptions, increased employee morale, and higher productivity, ultimately resulting in improved overall performance and quality of work.

viAct’s SMS includes specific features for construction safety, such as AI-powered EHS monitoring of high-risk areas like work at height, excavation tracking, fleet management, operator distraction, alert on improper harnessing, missing barricades, unstable equipment, and environmental compliance tracking to ensure worker safety and adherence to regulations on job sites.

The timeline for implementing a safety management system can vary significantly based on the organization’s size, complexity, and readiness. Generally, it can take anywhere from a few months to a year to fully develop, integrate, and optimize an SMS for effective operation.

Eager to find out more about the Safety Management System (SMS)?