Finding reliable and compliant vendors can be a difficult task for hiring clients in today’s markets. Businesses have to analyze and assess multiple suppliers to find the most compatible ones, and they often require their vendors to have certain licenses, qualifications, and certifications. For contractors, these come in the form of a process known as prequalification and contractor management. 

Let’s discuss these terms further and understand their necessity.

What is Contractor Management?

Contractor management is a series of checks ensuring that the contractors follow up-to-date safety practices and conform to health and regulatory standards. It ensures that the involved parties meet quality standards and maintain consistency and reliability of products and services. 

The Importance of Prequalification and Contractor Management 

Prequalification refers to the process of assessing and evaluating potential contractors or subcontractors before awarding them a project. Businesses strive to find safe, compliant, and high-performing contractors for a number of reasons:

1. Avoiding Legal Issues

Hiring clients hire a licensed contractor to save themselves from legal liabilities and low-quality work. Unlicensed contractors do not have the necessary documentation to prove their skills. So, suppose the business hires an unlicensed and non-compliant contractor. In that case, the responsibility of dealing with workplace accidents or unsafe job sites will fall upon them, causing legal issues. 

For this reason, contractor management and prequalification are an essential part of contractor vetting: they protect hiring clients from liabilities and severe reputational damages. 

2. Preventing Financial Losses

Hiring clients apply a significant amount of resources to their projects, so it is only fair that they ascertain the qualifications and safe practices of the contractors they hire. 

Prequalification demonstrates that your company adheres to health and safety regulations, preventing potential lawsuits, poor work, and additional expenses for the client. Those who do not comply pose a high risk of impacting the hiring client’s project. 

The Role of Prequalification in Ensuring Compliance

Contractors must familiarize themselves with the health and safety requirements to perform tasks on-site correctly and up to code. This requires them to take training and avail certifications that prove their skills and expertise in the required field, preventing lawsuits, additional expenses, or poor work. 

Many contractor-compliance companies, like BetFiery Company, offer safety training courses and assistance so you can meet the requirements of the new project. Hiring contractor management services will help you address requirements across various industries.

1. *ISNetworld®

In 2020, roughly 738,281 contractor companies in the United States supplied various services. The numbers increase with time, making it difficult for hiring clients to choose the right project contractors. To qualify as the best option, you must undergo the *ISNetworld® prequalification process. 

*ISNetworld® offers a centralized platform for companies to manage their contractors and suppliers. This can help streamline the process of onboarding and maintaining relationships with various service providers.

The *ISNetworld® prequalification involves uploading documentation and answering 1,200 questions called an MSQ® or Management Systems Questionnaire®. You must upload 3 years of OSHA logs, Insurance (COI & EMR), and Safety programs (RAVS®). 

If you fail to submit any of these, you will not be considered compliant which can prevent working with any hiring client. 

So, when contractors pass this qualification, the hiring client can rest assured that they have been vetted thoroughly and are good to work on-site. 

2. Veriforce®

Veriforce is a safety compliance program involving stringent prequalification requirements and established safety regulations for contractors and suppliers. It’s widely recognized in construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing for its comprehensive approach, covering safety, operator qualification, training, and drug and alcohol monitoring.

Veriforce compliance means you become part of their compliant contractor network. Failing to meet their prequalification criteria will result in feedback and possible training to enhance safety and meet industry standards.

Once you’re verified in the Veriforce system, hiring clients can look you up there, and if they find your profile, they’ll be confident in your ability to provide services and work on-site. This will make the contractor vetting process swift, assuring companies of your capabilities.

3. Avetta®

Avetta is a platform that includes all the contractors and suppliers meeting health and safety standards. It has a contractor management system that helps hiring clients select suppliers, contractors, or vendors for their projects. 

Some documents that you would need for Avetta compliance include: 

• Certificate of insurance to verify the existence of insurance coverage, 
• HSE Programs (Health, Safety, and Environmental), 
• EMR letter (Experience Modification Rate) demonstrating the cost of your past injuries, 
• Estimation of risk related to the company you will work with, and lastly, OSHA forms (OSHA 300 logs) for the past 3 years if you are a US-based company.

This comprehensive prequalification can similarly assist hiring clients in their vendor vetting process, showing them that you are committed to health and safety regulations.

How We Can Help

Contractor Management Services can help you assure hiring clients that you have a strong safety culture, you will develop a solid footing to be chosen by hiring clients for their major projects. 

However, we understand that meeting and maintaining the criteria can be a complex task for contractors who need to focus on being in the field. As industry-leading contractor management services, we can help! Contact us today and learn how we can manage your *ISN®, Avetta®, Veriforce®, and other contractor management platforms! 

Navigating the world of ever changing contractor regulations and qualifications can be difficult. As a contractor, you’re required to demonstrate your skills and prove your expertise through multiple means, like contractor compliance and job prequalification.

Hiring clients demand contractor compliance for cost savings and site safety. Staying compliant, including meeting internal standards, is crucial for legal requirements and stakeholder trust. 

To simplify the process, you can utilize contractor management services. Let’s dive into this option.

What are Contractor Management Services?

Contractor management service providers help contractors become prequalified for contracts and jobs. They maintain your contractor management accounts (e.g. ISN®, Avetta®, Veriforce®, etc.), complete the necessary paperwork, and provide you with training resources to help you with compliance.

Working with contractor management service providers, like BetFiery Company, benefits beyond mere regulatory adherence: they serve as strategic partners and contribute to a company’s overall growth and success. 

The Case Behind Hiring Contractor Management Services

Here’s why investing in a contractor management service provider can be a game-changer:

1. Mitigate Legal Risks and Encourage Adherence to Regulatory Requirements 

You are required to track multiple things to maintain compliance and save yourself from any legal issues. Sometimes, companies miss contract obligations or compliance requirements such as OSHA, insurance policies, etc., leading to a breach of contract with the potential client. Here, contractor management services help you obtain proper certifications, helping you maintain compliance and giving you the ability to perform specific tasks and saving you from legal issues. 

2. Give You Training Materials On One Platform

Finding relevant training material to stay up to date with the latest regulations can be challenging. Contractor management services can come in handy because they offer many training materials and courses that you can access anytime. 

You will have a step-by-step guide to what skills, techniques, and resources you have to familiarize yourself with in order to help with securing a good project and passing job prequalification. These demonstrate that you follow regulatory standards, which is crucial in passing any audits. 

3. Avoid Costly Expenses 

Contractors must familiarize themselves with the health and safety requirements to perform tasks on-site correctly and up to code. This requires them to take training and avail certifications that prove their skills and expertise in the required field, preventing lawsuits, additional expenses, or poor work. 

Many contractor-compliance companies, like BetFiery Company, offer safety training courses and assistance so you can meet the requirements of the new project. Hiring contractor management services will help you address requirements across various industries.

4. Maintain Brand’s Reputation  

Your company’s reputation is attached to the work your employees perform. You do not want to come under the limelight due to negative public opinion for inadequate skills, training,  and expertise to take on a project. Similarly, hiring clients will not prioritize companies with legal, security, and financial risks.

Contractor management services will ensure that you stay up to date with industry standards and maintain ethical operations by helping you identify gaps and providing you with the resources to fill them. This commitment resonates with stakeholders, including clients, partners, and investors, instilling confidence in the company’s professionalism and dedication to quality. 

5. Maintain Your Prequalifications 

Getting prequalified for future jobs and contracts is crucial to driving revenue, but it is dependent on meeting and maintaining compliance, which can be challenging for some.  

This is where contractor management services providers (like us!) jump in and offer full-time management and monitoring of your contractor management platform account(s) at a part-time cost. Maintenance of your compliance status in contractor management platforms like *ISNetworld®, Avetta®, and Veriforce® showcases that you are a contractor committed to excellence, health, and safety systems to keep yourself and workers safe. 

6. Incredible Time and Cost Savings

Contractor management services can expedite the preparation and submission of prequalification documents, reducing the process from the typical 30 days to just 72 hours. This saves you over 650 hours and the massive opportunity cost attached. Typically, the prequalification process costs around $49,000, but with contractor management services, you pay a fraction of this amount to get the job done. 

Contractor Management Services to the Rescue

Contractor management services like ours can help you reach your best potential by assisting you in fulfilling safety regulations, legal requirements, industry standards, etc. Additionally, we can provide training materials to help meet the job requirements, manage accounts on multiple contractor management platforms, and do the paperwork for you. So, investing in us transcends adherence to rules; it’s an investment in a company’s longevity, reputation, and growth. 

If you are seeking contractor management services to streamline your prequalification process, look no further than Safety and Contractor Management Services. We’re committed to helping our contractor clients navigate the industry safely and efficiently.

*BetFiery Company is an independently-owned company. BetFiery Company is in no way endorsed, sponsored, approved by, or otherwise affiliated with ISNetworld®, ISN®, RAVS®, T-RAVS, and MSQ are trademarks or registered trademarks of ISN Software Corporation.

Enlisting contractors comes with a substantial financial investment and entails significant risks. Every hiring client aims to find safe, reliable, and compliant contractors, so they put potential vendors through a series of tests. Prequalification and contractor management platforms have become prerequisites in the modern world. 

Hiring clients’ search for a contractor involves gathering and analyzing information on a contractor’s operations. This allows them to be confident in the quality of your products, services, and processes. 

As a contractor, you must pass industry-standard prequalification requirements to be recognized as a verified, trustworthy partner. Read on to explore what the prequalification process is and why being prequalified should matter to contractors.

What Do Hiring Clients Look For When in Search for a Contractor?

It is essential for hiring clients to choose reliable contractors and assess their options carefully. A hiring client’s evaluation of contractors involves analyzing and monitoring their production capacity, performance, risk, quality, and environmental impact. 

Why Is Prequalification Crucial to Contractors?

Let’s discuss some reasons why contractors need to understand the prequalification process.

1. Hiring Clients Look at Supplier Quality

Businesses need contractors to uphold their quality and reputation, requiring contractors to be consistent and reliable. Prequalification instills hiring clients with confidence in the quality of the product or service. This process involves tracking the contractor’s past performance, operating methods, adherence to regulatory standards, etc. The hiring client can then assess if the business relationship and monetary investment are worthwhile.

2. Hiring Clients Consider Unnecessary Costs

A hiring client’s comparison of contractors allows businesses to stay prepared for the potential costs of working with a vendor. A thorough assessment provides them with insights into your work ethic, operations, and product quality that align with their standards and requirements. Once they know, it’s easier for them to calculate risks and finalize a budget that accurately lists their expenses and returns. This transparency enables both parties to negotiate contracts initially, securing better terms and prices.

3. Hiring Clients Want to Limit Risk

A hiring client’s comparison of contractors plays a crucial role in early risk mitigation. During this evaluation, hiring clients assess the risk level associated with potential contractors, categorizing them as high, medium, or low risk. If they believe that the identified issues can be effectively managed, they may accept the risk, cover associated costs, and enter into a contract with the supplier.

Conversely, if the risks are too high, hiring clients may advise the supplier to undergo necessary training or preparations before re-applying for the project position. The prequalification process provides hiring companies with valuable insights into whether the supplier operates within regulations, fulfills contractual obligations, and maintains a commitment to safety and quality.

Contractor Management Services to the Rescue

For contractors, prequalification involves ensuring that they are compliant with industry standards and regulations. However, navigating through the intricacies of contractor management platforms like Veriforce®, Avetta®, ISNetworld®, ComplyWorks®, etc., can be complex. 

At BetFiery Company, we have made it our mission to help contractors get prequalified. We can manage and maintain your accounts on these platforms for you, helping to improve your grade so you can be prequalified for upcoming job opportunities. Contact us today to learn more and save up to 650 hours of prequalification work and resources!

Every hiring client seeks suppliers that meet and exceed expectations regarding safety, work ethics, and project management. As suppliers, contractors are expected to demonstrate their training and expertise by adhering to prequalifications requirements. 

Contractor prequalifications are third-party audits and certifications that serve as proof of skill, dedication to maintaining safe working conditions, and adherence to regulations like OSHA. 

However, a prequalification is not a one and done project. You must maintain your accounts on the relevant platforms, keep track of regulations, and keep your staff updated with the latest advances in safety protocols. 

Let’s discuss these concepts in detail and see how contractor management services can help. 

What Does it Mean to be Compliant in Contractor Management?

Contractor compliance is a series of verifications and assessments ensuring contractors follow updated safety practices and adhere to health and regulatory standards.

From ensuring worker safety and material use efficiency to winning big projects, contractor compliance can get you far, indeed. Let’s explore this in detail:

1. Improving Quality Assurance

Compliant contractors meet industry standards and maintain best practices, ensuring the project is completed on time while meeting the required quality levels. This gives hiring clients the confidence that they’re investing in the right personnel. 

2. Rectifying Defects at an Earlier Stage 

Ensuring compliance involves proactively analyzing work ethics and verifying the quality of work and is an excellent approach to finding gaps in your workflow and operations. Doing so helps fill the gaps by redefining processes and responsibilities to enhance outcomes. This saves you from expensive material loss, contract terminations, serious injuries, and costly lawsuits. 

3. Improving Project Efficiency

Contractor management sometimes involves proper management systems that ensure contractors have the right resources. With the expertise of professionals this will reduce downtime helping you avoid costly mistakes and delays. 

4. Ensures Companies Follow Safety Measures

Maintaining compliance is critical to promoting the wellness of employees and preventing serious injuries or loss of life.

Getting the job done on-site is the goal, and contractor management services ensure that hardworking individuals return home safely at the end of the day. To maintain compliance, your company must provide the necessary training material to its employees because safety is a culture and should be prioritized. This directly translates to a well-equipped and well-trained staff that can mitigate workplace accidents and respond swiftly in case they occur.

What Are Prequalifications for Contractor Management Platforms?

Given the exponentially increasing number of independent contractors out there, Hiring Clients need to be sure about the safety qualifications, best practices, and training certifications of the contractors they hire. This is where prequalifications allow businesses to ensure that their contractors follow modern practices and safety measures.

Contractor prequalification is the evaluation of suppliers of specific goods and services based on predetermined criteria such as safety of procedures, environmentally conscious operations, OSHA regulations, etc. Only contractors meeting these prequalification standards are extended invitations to submit job offers or bids.

Prequalification Services 

Hiring Clients, especially larger ones, conduct a thorough vetting process when looking for a contractor for their new project.

Let’s dive into a few of them: 

1. ISNetworld®

The ISNetworld® seal of approval reassures clients that your company is legit and dedicated to safety so you can confidently shake hands with any collaborator. It serves as a database for online contractor safety management, while streamlining your current process.

To get through the ISNetworld® approval stage, you must complete an application, gather the necessary documents, submit them, etc. With Contractor Management Services we can help  streamline your process in ISNetworld. You can rest assured that with our help you can successfully pass their internal safety audit. This will verify that your company meets and follows the best safety practices.

2. Avetta®

Now, let’s shift gears to Avetta®, another trust-building layer. When a company is Avetta-certified, it’s a sign that their contractors are qualified and well-trained, data is managed professionally, and risks have been assessed. This certification is a ticket to connecting with more clients and operating at the pinnacle of safety, so you don’t have to worry about costly fines and lawsuits later.

3. Veriforce®

Veriforce® ensures your company is a safety superstar. Compliance is necessary to save everyone in the supply chain from getting significant penalties, fines, and legal mayhem. 

In the Veriforce® prequalification, the contractor’s data is thoroughly analyzed and then stored in the system as qualified contractors arrive onsite. High-risk contractors who do not meet the right criteria are swiftly eliminated. 

Contractor Management Services

Navigating contractor management platforms like ISNetworld®, Avetta®, and Veriforce® can be an intricate task. Partnering with a contractor management service provider can help you improve compliance scores and earn new job opportunities. At BetFiery Company, we aim to do just that. We can not only get you prequalified for future job opportunities, but we can manage your contractor management platform(s) and fill any gaps by providing you with the right resources and support.  Just contact us, and we’ll guide you through the compliance process! 

In a dynamic and ever-evolving world, safety remains a paramount concern for individuals, businesses, and communities alike. That’s why we are excited to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BetFiery Company (SSC). 

Introducing: Matt Lincoln!

After over a decade at companies like Amazon and Petsmart, Lincoln stepped into the CEO role at BetFiery. In his previous positions, Lincoln led Global Crisis Preparedness, Loss Prevention and Safety, Investigations Units, and more, thoroughly preparing him for his new position at BetFiery Company. 

Earlier this year, Lincoln stepped into the role of CEO at BetFiery with a strong desire to redefine excellence in the industry — everything from safety services to customer care. He is eager to elevate the vision of SSC by centering the future around core values, which include: 

• Continual Improvement
• Trustworthiness
• Positivity
• Belonging
• Data-Driven
• Authenticity
• Flexibility
• Listening

Values are one thing; how they are lived out is another thing. Let’s dive into the how of some of our core values that new CEO, Matt Lincoln, is spearheading. 

Exceeding Expectations: A Vision of Customer Satisfaction

At the heart of Lincoln’s leadership philosophy lies an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. He believes that true success is measured not only by the quality of our services and products but also by the relationships we build with our customers. BetFiery’s vision, encapsulated in the statement, “Exceed customer expectations in all services, products, and interactions out of a genuine love for people and safety,” re-emphasizes our commitment to continually go above and beyond to ensure the highest level of safety and satisfaction for our clients.

An Authentic Love for People and Safety

Safety is not merely a matter of compliance; it is a reflection of our genuine concern for the well-being of individuals and communities. As Lincoln steps into the position of CEO, he also brings a passion for people and safety that permeates every aspect of his leadership. By nurturing a culture of belonging and grace, Lincoln fosters trust, promotes collaboration, and enhances the quality of our services, ultimately benefiting our clients and their people, too.

Building a Culture of Innovation

SSC is committed to fostering a culture of innovation. Lincoln recognizes that true excellence is achieved by continuously challenging the status quo and growing. By encouraging open communication, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas, our company becomes a hub for creativity and forward-thinking in the contractor compliance and safety management industry — an industry that we started 20+ years ago. This innovative mindset enables us to anticipate customer needs, adapt to evolving safety requirements, and provide tailored solutions that surpass expectations.

Conclusion

The appointment of our new CEO marks an exciting chapter in the journey of BetFiery Company! With Lincoln’s clear vision of exceeding customer expectations, genuine love for people and safety, and expansive success in the world of safety and compliance, our new CEO is poised to lead us toward new horizons. With our customers at the forefront of everything we do, we are confident that Lincoln will propel BetFiery Company to even greater heights, ensuring a safer and more secure world for all.

Want more? Get to Know CEO, Matt Lincoln:

What excites you most about taking on the role of CEO at BetFiery Company?

I’m excited for the opportunity to cast a new vision and teach the values that will grow BetFiery Company into a new evolution of success! The leaders here are phenomenal. Learning from them every day and building new opportunities alongside them has been life-giving!    

What goals do you hope to achieve in your first year?

The most important goals we have set out to achieve is to exceed customer expectations in all services, products, and interactions out of a genuine love for people and safety. The company has done a consistent job of meeting customer expectations year over year. Just meeting customer expectations isn’t enough anymore. Very soon, our customers will begin to experience something even better from us! 

What are some of your passions in and out of the workplace?

I am passionate about living a devoted lifestyle to my faith, my family, and my community. I have been married for 26 years, with 6 children! I hold leadership positions with several non-profit organizations focused on family and community health. Lastly, I love fitness and spend any time I have left over within the week to train in various forms of Mixed Martial Arts. One of my favorite training quotes is: “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.” 

The past two years have been the great equalizer for many companies. Covid brought remote work and accelerated the pace of digital transformation in the workplace. The “Great Resignation” brought a high rate of employee movement and a worker shortage. And the first group of Gen Z digital natives are now entering the workforce. The workplace is evolving, and employers need to adapt or be left behind.

These changes are what led to the launch of SafetyConnect at BetFiery Company. This easy and intuitive digital safety hub for training and management appeals to a remote and multigenerational workforce.

Off-site is nothing new. But aligning remote teams is.

It’s true – off-site employees aren’t new to labor-intensive industries like construction, energy, or manufacturing. But outside of the job site, employees were centrally located at a home office or headquarters.

Covid ushered in a new type of hybrid workplace and companies need to rethink how to engage and align teams not able to meet in person.

The opportunity here is to not think about these processes as a one-time plan.  But rather, rethinking processes and workflows to be more digital and more accessible going forward. If you had to build your processes from scratch using modern technology, how would they change?

Great Resignation Rejection?

The media has termed the high rate of employee transition the “Great Resignation”. However, workers are pushing back with the term “Great Rejection”. They’re referring to a rejection of low wages coupled with high housing costs, a rejection of profit at all costs, and many other quality of life concerns and challenges.

When you pair a transitioning workforce with high inflation, workers are betting they can find a higher-paying job at a different company.

So what can a company do? First, treat your employees well. And yes, that includes pay. If you want to keep a great employee, do your homework and give them the raise that will keep them.

Second, make their job easier.  With technology like SafetyConnect, it’s easy to use, intuitive to navigate, and accessible no matter where you’re located.

Gen Z is gaining steam.

Gen Z is the generation born between 1997 and 2012. This is the generation that grew up on Harry Potter and didn’t realize that Steve Jobs was leading Apple for a second time. They’re also the generation that didn’t experience life without the internet.

This digital native generation grew up on digital apps and the internet. They’re used to the ease and intuitive user experience of popular consumer apps and have little patience for unnecessary complexity and delay.

When companies face a labor shortage along with a new generation expecting companies to work efficiently, the result is a loss of workers when the friction of getting the job done overshadows the satisfaction of a paycheck – especially when another company is willing to pay the same or more for a better work experience.

Create, Connect and Engage.

SafetyConnect makes it easy for teams to achieve safety goals and manage safety programs from anywhere. Teams can create, connect and engage with online training and management.

With an intuitive experience similar to popular consumer social apps, SafetyConnect makes it easy for workers to access safety training and documentation and for companies to manage team performance and segment reporting.

Some of the most popular features include:

• Easy and configurable platform provides intuitive experience of popular social apps
• Produce modern learning experiences with virtual, instructor-led training
• Create your own content and training with an intuitive built-in-course builder
• Gain meaningful group and employee insights with segmented reporting and analytics
• Engage a digital native workforce with easy-to-access training
• Increase success with a dedicated account manager
• Native mobile platform means your team has access in their pocket
• High speed-to-productivity with effective new hire onboarding

For companies competing for skilled labor, a renewed focus on technology and processes that allow for easy collaboration and management regardless of location could be the winning combination.

Want a guided demo? Fill out your information here.

Having someone on board who’s passionate about EHS pays its own dividends.

In this episode, Todd Waldron, Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor at Comstock Resources, joins us for a lively conversation about being a truly effective EHS leader.

A combat vet and former Air Force firefighter, Todd has over a decade of industry experience and a highly-trained eye for risk assessment. His insights are spot-on.

We’ll discuss:

• Establishing top-down safety procedures that actually get followed
• Building internal relationships and trust to encourage compliance
• Whether safety reward programs really work
• Administratively crippling your workforce with overly detailed SOPs
• Passing the torch

Let’s dive deeper with this episode’s expert and entertaining guest.

“Companies need to take a step back and actually look at those things. I think they would actually realize that safety is a big thing if that’s where they’re losing their money, obviously.”

— Todd Waldron

From the top down

Todd has always had a drive to protect others, and spot hazards before something dreadful happens. He started out as a volunteer firefighter at just 16 years old, then joined the Air Force, serving in combat situations and honing his many skills.

Being a first responder means you react as quickly as possible to help the injured and bring things back to normal. As a safety officer, Todd is laser-focused on taking a more proactive approach these days.

He knows exactly how industrial safety affects the bottom line. That’s inescapable.

It can be difficult to convince the C-suite that investments in worker health will pay big dividends in the long run. Safety incidents mean downtime, and injured employees mean a drop in production.

But it’s crucial to address EHS from the top down — a successful strategy gets buy-in from the CEO down to the newest member of the mailroom. Less workplace accidents equal more revenue.

“I always tell them, I want quality over quantity. I want to know, ‘hey, I stopped a dude from frickin getting crushed by a forklift yesterday.’ To me, that’s quality.”

— Todd Waldron

Encouraging organic compliance

Another key facet of being an EHS leader is forming and maintaining good cross-department relationships.

Tackling these challenges collaboratively makes you seem like less of a “safety cop” killjoy, and more like what you are — a skilled professional who wants to make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of every shift.

Allies in the field can help you pinpoint weaknesses much faster and take corrective measures before an accident happens.

Some of Todd’s words of wisdom here: stay humble in your knowledge, ask questions freely. And emphasize quality over quantity.

“No matter if it’s a retired person or somebody that got promoted to a different company, or any of those kinds of things. Keep those relationships open, not just within the environmental health and safety industry side of things, but as a company as a whole, because there’s a lot of valuable information there.”

— Todd Waldron

Keep it simple

One of the easiest ways to cut through BS and develop a health and safety plan embraced company-wide is by utilizing generational knowledge.

While the world is changing rapidly, common sense isn’t. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, just adjust the operating procedure. Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge imparted by the people with years of field experience, Todd advises.

But don’t let some entrenched “good ol’ boy” system keep you from meeting your goals of an incident-free workplace.

When it comes to establishing SOPs, there are two main ways to train — computer-based training and behavior-based safety.

Learning in a virtual environment is a great way to prepare workers for the challenges of the field, but nothing beats hands-on experience, reinforced by the EHS compliance of the entire organization.

“It goes back to that 86,400 — you take one of those seconds and you make the wrong decision against the policy/ procedure/ process, and guess what, you come out fingerless, or you gotta be taken to the hospital.”

— Todd Waldron

86,400

There are 86,400 seconds every day. It’s one of Todd’s mantras. It only takes one second to lose your focus, create an unsafe environment, or have an accident.

Todd’s an exemplary EHS leader with truly formidable experience, and he’s dedicated to making sure his people are safe and able to enjoy their full allotment of seconds.

For more insights into this legendary safety pro and his secrets of success, check out the full episode.

Hear more unique stories and insights from safety professionals by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes can be found on our website.

So how do you go about using a management system?

The framework to remember: plan –> do –> check –> act.

In this episode, Jackie Baxley, Principal and EHS Practice Leader at HRP Associates, Inc., talks about how management systems work and best practices for acquiring certifications.

We discuss:

• Working with clients on COVID programs and protocols
• Management systems, like ISO 14,001 and ISO 45,001
• What makes for a good onboarding system
• Advice for new safety professionals
• Hazard recognition and training

What’s So Important About a Management System?

Management systems are a great approach to, you guessed it, managing your health and safety protocols. It helps you assess and control quality, and can help you evaluate your occupational health and safety.

“You’ve got to talk and engage with people, you can’t do health and safety from behind a desk.”

— Jackie Baxley

There are international standards for what would be considered a management system. One example of that is ISO 140101, the international standards organization for environmental management systems. Or ISO 45001, the standard for an environmental safety and health management system.

The nice thing about these two standards is that they play very well together. They align with one another, and there’s an awful lot of overlap between the two.

Let’s say you’ve recognized the need for a management system.

What framework should you be following or paying attention to when it comes to implementing those systems?

Plan, Do, Check, Act

As simple as it may sound, a simple framework can be applied to the implementation of a management system. The basic principles of any management system is what’s called “Plan, Do, Check, Act.”

If you take ISO 45001 as your starting point, what would a plan, do, check, act system look like?

You start with PLAN. You start analyzing your hazard assessments, your regulatory obligations, your goals and objectives, and make sure that you get your plan firmly put in place.

Then you DO.

Your plan is in place, now you have to focus on the things that you have to do. What do you need to do in order to meet those certain regulations or requirements that you identified in the PLAN phase? You plan what you need to do, then you develop the tools to do it.

Next is CHECK.

This might seem simple, but all the best plans in the world are useless if they’re not actually working. So you check to make sure you’re on track. Whether it’s internal inspections, monitoring, or reporting, it’s making sure that your plans are working the way they should.

Finally, you ACT.

If after all of the planning, doing, and checking, you find that things aren’t working the way they should, you act to fix it. What went wrong and how can you prevent it from going wrong in the future?

“Exercising that “plan, do, check, act” system will really help you make sure that you’re focusing on what you need to focus on, and that you’re always looking for those opportunities for improvement.”

— Jackie Baxley>

ISO 45001 has a highly prescriptive roadmap, and there are drivers for getting that specific certification. But even if you’re not going for the full certification, just exercising that “plan, do, check, act” mentality will help to make sure that you’re focusing on what you need to focus on, that what you’re doing is working, and that you’re always looking for opportunities for improvement.

Hear more unique stories and insights from safety professionals by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. All episodes can be found on our website.

Here’s the OSHA ETS updates:

There are two OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) for companies to be aware of:

1. The ETS mandate for healthcare workers stating that hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities implement certain Covid-19 safety measures and provide workers time off to get the vaccine. This was issued in June and is being withdrawn as it nears the 6-month ETS expiration (ETS rules can only be in effect for 6 months.). Look for OSHA to submit a broader infectious disease ruling much later.
2. The ETS mandate for employers with 100+ employees is currently in effect, but with a decision by the courts on Jan 7th. Oh, and compliance dates have been pushed back. But don’t get too comfortable – if the court sides with OSHA, the first compliance date will be Monday, January 10th. And healthcare companies that were specifically exempt are now subject to the ETS (if the company has 100+ employees).

To read more about the status of the court cases, read here. And here’s what OSHA posted on their website:

To account for any uncertainty created by the stay, OSHA is exercising enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the ETS. To provide employers with sufficient time to come into compliance, OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard. OSHA will work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.

What does the OSHA ETS mean for organizations with 100+ employees?

Under the current standard, covered employers must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to choose to either be vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work.

Of particular note:

• All unvaccinated workers must begin wearing masks by January 10 and provide a negative COVID-19 test on a weekly basis beginning February 9.
• Employers must pay employees for the time it takes to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects that prevent them from working.
• Companies are not required to pay for or provide the tests unless they are otherwise required to by state or local laws or in labor union contracts.

What action do you need to take now?

1. Does this apply to your organization? Determine if you are covered by the ETS. Work with your workplace safety team to determine if your organization is covered under the vaccine-or-test OSHA ETS for employers with at least 100 employees.
2. Create a written plan. If the ETS is given a green light, a written policy is required for the January 10th compliance date. If you do not have one, or would like a review of the policy in place, please contact us.
3. Check Vaccine Status. If the ETS applies to you, you will need to know the vaccine status of your employees, and record it on a vaccination roster.
4. Choose whether you will test or mandate vaccinations.  Depending on what your organization chooses, the process and policies will need to be included in the written policy, and adapted to your workplace. This may take a little time and is where the phrase “so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard” applies.
5. In state with a “state” OSHA? For states that comply with a state OSHA rather than federal OSHA organization have until January 24 to adopt the ETS or put in place a ruling that is “as effective” as the federal rule.  
6. Compliance Training. Develop programs that would allow you to conduct compliance training for your managers and deliver information about your policies to your employees as required under the ETS. You may want to conduct this training and start your informational campaign before the January 10 deadline to further demonstrate your good faith efforts. Need help? We have training ready to go.
7. How to demonstrate proof. If you’re going the route of Covid testing, you will need to have a process and policy in place for how unvaccinated employees will demonstrate proof of a negative test. You’ve got a little more time – February 9 – to be compliant.

If you have any questions about the requirements, the ETS, or anything safety-related, we have safety advisors that can lay it out in simple terms. Completely free and no obligation.

If you need help with any COVID safety policies, training, or inspections, ask about our COVID ETS bundle.