Safety App Of The Week

October 21, 2013 No Comments

Below is our “Safety App of the Week”.  These weekly features are published every Monday.  New apps are tested on Apple iPads and rated from ♥ to ♥♥♥♥♥ (♥♥♥♥♥ is the best).  Prior app of the week articles are archived here.

Working together – Healthy Workplaces Campaign

Official Description  

“Working together – Healthy Workplaces Campaign is the first app released by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). It includes different tools and resources to help managers, workers and their representatives to work together for risk prevention and health promotion in the workplace.

This app is part of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2012–13 “Working together for risk prevention” co-ordinated by the EU-OSHA and aims at supporting managers, workers and other stakeholders to join forces to improve safety and health in the workplace.

Why?
• Every year more than 5 500 people lose their lives in the EU as a result of workplace accidents. More than 159 000 die from an occupational disease. That’s one work-related fatality every 3.5 minutes.

• Estimates vary, but accidents and ill-health cost the EU economy at least 490 billion Euros per year.

• Data show that the participation of workers and their representatives in occupational safety and health issues leads to better health and safety performance in the workplace.

• Safety and health in the workplace is an investment, contributing to the sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of a company.

• Because safety and health in the workplace is good for you and good for business.

Features
– Management Leadership in Occupational Safety and Health – A practical guide – aimed at managers who wish to become leaders in safety and health.
– Worker Participation in Occupational Safety and Health -A practical guide – aimed at employees and their representatives.
– Case studies, presentations and focus on specific sectors and topics.
– Checklists and an interactive self-assessment tool.
– Animated infographics, photos.
– Links to videos and more resources.

The app is produced in cooperation with BUSINESSEUROPE and ETUC, European organisations respectively representing employers’ associations and trade unions at European level.”¹

Thumbs Up

• cost is free
• no registration or sign in required
• well organized – easy and logical to use without any instruction
• visually attractive
• can be used off-line

Thumbs Down

• most of the information in this app only applies to Europe
• only two videos – each one takes a long LONG time to download
• only three checklists – we would never use any of them
• we expected to see “safety pictures” when we clicked on “pictures” – unfortunately all the photos are of executives at the organization that developed this app
• we see little value in this app for any safety professional – we will never use it

Overall Rating

• iPad – ♥♥

¹ Descriptions courtesy of Apple Inc.

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