EcoOnline

McAleer & Rushe, a specialist design & build contractor, faced significant challenges with their health and safety processes. Prior to digitization, up to 200 people within the organization were using a paper-based, in-house system to report hazards. This system was not only time-consuming but also prone to delays and potential data inaccuracies. The paper-based system also made it difficult to track and follow up on incidents, ensuring that related actions had been completed. Furthermore, the system did not allow for any significant analysis of health and safety data. The process of collecting hazard data had become a tick box exercise, leaving virtually no time to focus on areas that needed attention.

Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), a leading property consultancy in the UK and Ireland, faced a significant challenge as its client portfolio continued to grow. The existing processes for monitoring the management of their clients’ properties, which included using separate systems for each of their services, were inadequate and needed development to capitalize on rising customer demand. LSH required a comprehensive digital platform that could provide a deeper, holistic understanding of their service delivery. This included logging reactive jobs, scheduling properties for planned maintenance works, recording accidents, and ensuring contractors carrying out jobs at each property were accredited and qualified. Property management is a key driver of LSH’s ongoing growth, but to maintain its market leadership, it needed a robust system to ensure high levels of customer service and compliance checks kept up with demand.

Mowi ASA, the world's largest producer of Atlantic salmon, faced a significant challenge in managing its chemical use and risk. The company, which employs over 12,000 people and has complete internal control over its entire supply chain, found it increasingly difficult to keep track of chemicals in accordance with current legal requirements. Prior to implementing a new solution, Mowi relied on a paper-based chemical list and used the company's health service to risk assess the chemicals for use. This process was not only time-consuming but also challenging to keep up-to-date. For instance, obtaining the latest safety data sheets was a task that consumed a significant amount of time.

Polypipe, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of piping systems, water, and climate management systems, faced a significant challenge in managing and understanding the use of hazardous chemicals within their business. The company, which employs 3,500 staff across 12 different sites, found it particularly difficult to track the chemicals used across various shop floors and departments. Additionally, they struggled to access crucial information from their chemical providers, which was necessary for producing technical COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments for their daily operations. The management of COSHH is a key strategy for Polypipe to maintain and improve the wellbeing of their employees, and they needed extra support and guidance to ensure they were managing these substances safely and compliantly.

St George’s University Hospital, the largest healthcare provider in Southwest London, was facing challenges in managing the increasing number of contractors on site every day. The hospital's internal departments such as Estates, Facilities, Capital Projects and Medical Engineering were finding it difficult to manage the influx with their existing processes. The hospital was using a paper system that followed a triplicate process that was manually written. This made it difficult and time-consuming to ascertain who was on site and what they were there for. There was also no simple or quick way of determining retrospectively who had been on site and what services they had provided. The hospital was also aware that different disciplines needed to avoid simultaneous work. These challenges were hindering the hospital's Quality and Safety Strategy (2019-2024) which focuses on delivering outstanding care, every time.

APS Group, a leading supplier in the UK food manufacturing industry, faced a significant challenge in managing their Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessments. Each of their seven sites, employing over 750 people, was responsible for its own health, safety, and environmental strategy. This decentralized approach meant that a solution that worked for one site might not work for another due to the unique processes and product areas within each site. During an audit at their Teeside site, APS discovered they were using more hazardous products than they had initially realized in their daily operations. While they used 20-30 substances to fertilize their tomatoes, they had not considered the 300+ oils, greases, and small ancillary products also in use. With ongoing changes in legislation, APS recognized the need for a solution that would help them manage and update all their COSHH assessments to ensure compliance.

Specsavers, a leading provider of optometry, audiology, and other healthcare services, was facing a significant challenge in managing its health and safety processes across its vast network of over 900 stores in the UK, Ireland, and other countries. Despite utilizing advanced technology for customer-facing operations, the company was still relying on outdated methods for reporting accidents and issues in its corporate offices and stores. The UK and Ireland branches were using paper diaries to keep track of routine health and safety compliance in areas such as fire alarm and emergency lighting testing, and inspections of optometry and audiology equipment. This method did not provide a central, accurate view of each store’s compliance levels, making it difficult to monitor and act on any health and safety compliance issues unless physically visiting a store. The company had already moved its accident reporting online, creating a mismatch, and there was a desire for health and safety compliance to follow suit.

Colas, a UK-based transport infrastructure company, faced a significant challenge in managing environmental, health, and safety (EHS) incidents across its widespread operations. With employees working in diverse locations such as high-speed road networks, busy airports, and construction sites, the company needed a robust and efficient system to report and manage unwanted events. The existing process, which involved reporting via an iPad, telephone call, or text message, was not only inefficient but also prone to errors and delays. The company also needed a solution that could work on a Windows Mobile Platform, as most of its corporate mobile phones used this operating system. Furthermore, Colas had over 600 individuals registered on the EcoOnline platform, plus a further 600 who had an anonymous generic login, all of whom needed to be able to install the app onto their work or private devices.

Spartan Controls, a company with 14 locations across three provinces, faced a significant challenge in managing safety across all sites using a paper and Excel-based safety system. This method resulted in administrative burden and efficiency losses, with most of their time spent managing paperwork and completing actions manually rather than focusing on key priorities. The paper-based system made it difficult to follow up on tasks and provide feedback or corrective actions to teams based on forms submitted. With a workforce spread across multiple locations, participation and connection amongst teams were harder to gauge. The paper-based system also made employees feel there was no feedback loop when forms were submitted, resulting in lower safety engagement. Employees traveling from site to site had to manually manage hazard reports and inspections, which was inefficient and led to a safety culture that was not at its highest potential. Manual processes and Excel spreadsheets also led to little insight into safety metrics and KPIs, making it difficult to track data and build reports.

The Royal Mail, one of the oldest organizations in the world, was facing significant challenges in managing its vast real estate portfolio. With one of the largest corporate real estates in Europe, the organization was committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, health, and wellbeing for its people, suppliers, and the communities it operates in. However, the existing processes were resource-heavy and largely paper-based. Providing access to building information for contractors was a time-consuming process. The organization also had to undertake annual compliance checks on all its buildings, which generated around 130,000 pieces of paper that needed to be filed. The Royal Mail needed a platform with a workflow system that would allow them to proactively manage and follow up any remedial works identified.

AB Agri, a rapidly growing agricultural business operating across the entire food supply chain, was facing a significant challenge in managing its Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessments. The company had been managing COSHH in-house using databases and safety data sheets. However, due to its continued growth and operational expansion, this manual process had resulted in a significant backlog of assessments that needed to be written, putting a strain on the health and safety team’s resources. The approach also meant that COSHH assessments were being written from a single risk view, rather than reflecting the actual work processes taking place across the business. With operations spanning 17 sites across five countries, the team at AB Agri also identified a significant amount of process duplication. Each COSHH assessment took an average of 60 minutes to write, leading to health and safety managers spending a considerable amount of time updating and reviewing existing assessments. It became increasingly difficult to keep control of a dynamic situation that was impacted by changing legislation, product suppliers, and other external factors.

E-CO Energi, a Norwegian power company, faced significant challenges in managing and tracking their chemicals in accordance with legal requirements. Prior to implementing EcoOnline's software, the company relied on traditional methods of tracking chemicals using ring binders. This manual process was not only time-consuming but also made it difficult for the company to keep their records up-to-date. The company needed to constantly obtain the latest safety data sheets, which was a daunting task. The lack of a streamlined process for managing chemicals posed a risk to the company's operations and compliance with safety regulations.

Ekornes, a large furniture manufacturer with facilities across Norway and the United States, faced significant challenges in managing safety data sheets (SDS) for over 940 chemical products used in their manufacturing processes. The company was using a paper-based system to store SDS, which were scattered across the organization, making it difficult to find the right document and access the latest, updated sheets. This system was not only inefficient but also posed a risk to employee safety as it was challenging to extract necessary information to develop efficient risk assessments and implement controls to reduce potential risks. The paper-based approach was not sustainable for such a large organization and took time away from other key activities. Ekornes recognized the need for a digital solution to streamline their SDS management processes and maintain compliance with the region’s regulations.

Glasgow City Council, the largest local authority in Scotland, was facing challenges with their paper-based methods for managing accidents and incidents across their large estate, which includes schools, care homes, garages, and offices. The traditional system relied on telephone calls or forms, which could take weeks to process and often resulted in loss of crucial information. The council needed a system that would allow immediate notification, especially in the case of serious incidents, and provide intelligence for continuous improvement. The council's primary goals were to identify and respond to a serious incident immediately and collect their incident data in a way that they could monitor trends and make appropriate improvements.

Mitie, a multi-industry company based in the UK, faced several challenges due to the diverse nature of its business. The company needed an Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) solution that could cater to the demands of various sectors. Mitie not only had to implement systems and control measures from its perspective but also had to consider the controls and processes of its clients. The existing processes and systems did not support the Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) team in fostering a safety culture within the business. Incidents were managed through a centralized phone line in a linear process, and operation management was more focused on form filling rather than managing QHSE data in source systems. Furthermore, due to a low rate of input, it was challenging to measure Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the QHSE team lacked sufficient data to make strategic safety decisions confidently.

Porsgrunn Municipality, a local authority in Southern Norway, was faced with the challenge of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and the use of chemicals. The municipality had 4,000 registered chemicals distributed among 44 businesses and 119 departments within healthcare, environment and urban development, education, and administration. The municipality's action program aimed to reduce 10% of chemicals by 2023. The challenge was not only to meet this target but also to ensure the safe use and handling of chemicals. Recent figures from the Norwegian Occupational Safety and Health Administration showed that over 200 Norwegians receive a cancer diagnosis each year from exposure to dangerous chemicals in the workplace. Furthermore, research highlighted that 20% of all lung cancer cases and 10-15% of all asthma cases in adulthood are due to work-related exposure to hazardous substances.

The Prince’s Trust, a leading UK charity for young people, was facing challenges with its in-house safety data systems. The charity, which has thousands of individuals in its care, 1,200 delivery partners and 50 sites around the UK, was relying on paper-based internal processes. This led to work duplication, prolonged working methods, and an inability to review data effectively. The stakeholders often misunderstood their responsibilities, thinking they ended once the paper-based form was completed. The charity also struggled with the quality of data available, which impacted its ability to demonstrate the value of its work to senior stakeholders. The lack of a digital system was hindering the charity's ability to safeguard young people effectively and efficiently.

Unilabs, a major diagnostic provider in Europe, faced significant challenges in managing their chemical handling processes. Prior to implementing EcoOnline's solution, Unilabs struggled with maintaining up-to-date safety data sheets, conducting risk assessments of the chemicals they used, and obtaining a comprehensive view of their chemical handling. The process was labor-intensive and time-consuming, making it difficult for the company to ensure the safety and efficiency of their operations. The lack of a streamlined process for managing safety data sheets and conducting risk assessments posed a significant challenge for Unilabs, hindering their ability to provide safe and efficient diagnostic services.

United Living, a UK-based infrastructure, new homes, and property services group, was facing a significant challenge in managing health and safety risks across its operations. The company, which employs over 1,100 people and has a supply chain network of over 2,000 resources, was receiving a mere 250 'close call' reports per month. These reports, which are used to identify potential hazards and risks, were not sufficient for a company of United Living's size and scope. The company's Group Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality (SHEQ) Director, Sean Luchmun, recognized the need for a significant increase in these reports to better manage risks and improve safety across the company's operations. The challenge was to change the company's culture to encourage employees to report close calls and to implement a system that would make reporting easier and more efficient.

Valvoline Oil A/S, a family-owned company specializing in distributing lubricants to the automotive industry, was facing significant challenges in managing safety data sheets using a paper-based system. This method proved inefficient and ineffective, requiring substantial time and effort to maintain. The paper-based system also made it difficult to gain insight into all the chemical products located on site, leading to data silos that were hard to break down. The team had little visibility and found it challenging to find the information they needed, as it was scattered in different locations. Furthermore, distributing safety data sheets and updated SDS’s to their approximately 600 customers was a daunting task. Whenever there was a product update, the team had to print out all the necessary safety data sheets, carry them to the post office, and send them out in a timely manner. The team realized this method was not sustainable for the company or their customers, prompting them to look for an alternative.

Wärtsilä, a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets, was facing a significant challenge in managing and tracking the chemicals used across its various locations. The company, with over 18,000 professionals spread across more than 200 locations in 68 countries, lacked a comprehensive system to maintain an overall view of the chemicals and their risk assessments. The absence of a robust system made it difficult for the company to keep track of the chemicals, their suppliers, and the latest safety data sheets. This situation posed a risk to the company's commitment to improving environmental and economic performance.

Arcus, an award-winning facilities management company, faced a significant challenge as it grew and evolved. The company had multiple systems of work that emerged to support its activities. However, these systems were not integrated, leading to issues with data entry, information management, and reporting. The lack of a single, integrated EHSQ system meant that different parts of the business could not communicate fluidly. This situation was not only inefficient but also increased the risk of errors and made it difficult to maintain a holistic view of the business.

Atlantic Airways, the national airline of the Faroe Islands, operates a complex operation that includes jets and helicopters, with destinations domestically and internationally. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline operated flights to various international destinations. However, the pandemic led to a reduction in international destinations from 12 to 2 due to the worldwide decline in traveling. The company faced the challenge of managing potential crisis situations efficiently and in a timely manner. The need for a comprehensive crisis management platform was evident, one that could provide a variety of checklists, log functions, and aid in developing media communication. The platform also needed to have the capability to notify personnel about an emergency through various channels and confirm their receipt of the message and availability in real time.

Axis Group, a leading provider of facilities-related security, reception management, cleaning, and support services across the UK, was facing a significant challenge in its health and safety reporting process. The company was operating on a reactive basis, with very few near misses being reported, and those that were reported were often delayed in reaching the head office due to the paper-based reporting system. The company wanted to shift from this reactive approach to a proactive one that would prevent accidents. The challenge was not only to change the reporting system but also to change the mindset of the large workforce towards reporting not just accidents, but near misses too.

Costain, a large and complex organization operating across various industries, faced a significant challenge in managing risk effectively. The company needed to ensure that senior leaders had access to accurate, up-to-date data from each project to confirm that all areas were performing as expected. As part of several joint ventures, Costain had to demonstrate adherence to the highest possible standards. Employee wellbeing was also a major concern, with a focus on protecting both the mental and physical health of employees. The previous solution, while meeting initial requirements, needed a refresh due to advances in technology and evolving business demands. The goal was to add more depth to the data captured and ensure every possible finding was identified and followed up.

EC Power, a Denmark-based utility company specializing in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology, was grappling with a time-consuming and inefficient process for managing their data sheets. The company uses a variety of hazardous products such as lubricants, cleaning agents, and products for soldering and bonding, all of which need to be legally documented. The existing process involved searching through all the sheets to find the required information, manually adding them into the system, and then linking it to an Excel sheet. This process had to be repeated continuously to keep the data updated, which was taking away valuable time from their employees and hindering productivity.

ENGIE, a leading provider in energy, services, and regeneration, faced significant challenges in managing their waste information and measuring their carbon footprint. Their previous system, hosted on SharePoint, had limited reporting capabilities and did not provide the sophisticated functions ENGIE needed. The system's limited ability to work with values in the report and the restricted data exporting formats hindered ENGIE from creating tailored business reports. The traditional spreadsheet approach led to disparate data capture between users, resulting in discrepancies and inaccurate reporting. This lack of accurate representation of waste information was a significant challenge. The process was time-consuming, requiring substantial operational and central time within the Environment team to combine data and produce meaningful reports.

Ferrovial Agroman, a leading infrastructure and service operator, was facing challenges in managing its health and safety data. The company's core values revolve around health and safety, making it crucial for them to keep track of every reported incident and monitor any trending occurrences. However, the manual tasks of managing databases and entering data were proving to be inefficient and prone to human error. Depending on the number of companies involved, these tasks needed to be completed two or three times, reducing the effectiveness of their operation. The company was also using an in-house reporting system that was not providing the depth of incident management they required.

Future Industrial Services, a UK-based hazardous waste management and industrial cleaning services provider, faced a significant challenge in standardising their approach to managing Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) risks across their seven sites. The lack of standardisation and visibility of systems at a group level made it difficult to make informed decisions and scale the business. Managers at different sites were operating in their unique ways, leading to inconsistencies in processes and procedures. The company relied heavily on individual employees, Excel spreadsheets, and Word documents, making it hard to gain visibility at all levels and track safety activities, employee engagement, trends, safety data, and more. The manual nature of the system required 40-50 hours a week to maintain, making it challenging for the team to stay proactive. Tracking trends and safety metrics to reduce incidents was also a challenge due to the disparate ways local teams operated. The lack of real-time information made it difficult to mitigate risks or reduce the chance of an incident or injury.

Greener Ealing Ltd (GEL), a local authority company founded in July 2020, was tasked with becoming Ealing Council’s new waste and recycling contractor. As a new standalone organization serving over 350,000 residents, GEL faced the challenge of implementing effective systems quickly to support their employees and deliver the expected service. The first requirement was a risk management system to record any accidents involving its employees and vehicles to help identify trends and mitigate against future potential accidents. This was crucial as GEL is responsible for weekly waste collections, along with other waste management services in the borough. GEL also aimed to invest in their employees to achieve their ambition of becoming a leader in the waste management field. They wanted to elevate how employees viewed their roles and appreciate the skills and knowledge required to do them well. Furthermore, GEL was keen to digitize as many processes as possible, eliminating the need for time-consuming inefficient paperwork.

Islington Council, representing a diverse community with 19,000 households, was faced with a significant challenge when government regulations concerning the outsourcing of health and safety services for schools were amended. The changes allowed schools within the London Boroughs to seek health and safety services from independent organizations instead of their local council. This posed a threat to the council's revenue and necessitated a competitive solution to retain its schools. The council's health and safety management was predominantly conducted via traditional paper-based methods, which were time-consuming and prone to manual reporting errors, costly delays, and overlooked compliance issues. The council needed to enhance its services by providing a robust solution that would supply schools with a comprehensive health and safety management service, thus protecting an important client base and reducing the need to look for alternative solutions.

Møller, a leading car retailer for Volkswagen, Audi, and Skoda in Norway, Sweden, and the Balkans, faced a significant challenge in managing the use of chemicals and other hazardous products in their operations. As one of Norway's largest car importers, Møller was committed to adhering to Norwegian law and focusing on the use of environmentally friendly products. However, the automotive industry is known for its extensive use of chemicals in various processes, making it difficult for Møller to maintain an accurate overview of the products in their range. Furthermore, Møller's large dealer network, which makes purchases with them, required access to safety data sheets for all chemicals used. Without a proper system in place, achieving these objectives would have been a daunting task.

Müller, a multinational dairy products producer, faced significant challenges in managing health and safety across its 80+ sites. With over 8,000 employees, the company had to ensure the safe and compliant handling of hazardous substances. The complexity of their supply chain, coupled with the need to maintain high health and safety standards, made standardizing safety processes a key priority. The company sources materials from a wide range of global suppliers, adding another layer of complexity to their operations. The main challenge was to unify standards and processes under one strategy, which was difficult due to the differing systems, risks, and capabilities across their many sites. Staff had to spend a significant amount of time updating contractor information and keeping chemical risk assessments up-to-date. As the company expanded rapidly, the health and safety team needed a framework to standardize operational excellence activities and ways of working across the business.

Multiplex, a leading global construction company, was facing a significant administrative burden due to their manual management of over 350 permits per day across their six UK sites. The traditional method of using notepads for permit management led to disparate systems and discrepancies across the records, resulting in additional time spent on administration to rectify the issues. The process was not only time-consuming but also prone to human errors, leading to potential mistakes. Furthermore, the manual system limited Multiplex's visibility of the real-time status of their contractor workforce, hindering efficient management and decision-making.

Northgate PLC, the UK’s largest commercial vehicle rental provider, was facing a significant challenge in managing a high volume of property-related requests. With an average of 40 requests per day, totaling 800 a month, the company was struggling to manage these requests effectively through their manual approach. The requests varied greatly, from flooded customer toilets to roof repairs, adding to the complexity of the task. The company recognized the need for a system that would allow them to manage tickets more effectively, coordinate the required actions, and monitor the progress of these jobs through to completion. The lack of a streamlined process resulted in ambiguity and inefficiency, hindering Northgate's ability to provide high-quality service.

OilStates Industries, a major global provider of integrated energy systems and solutions, was facing a significant challenge in managing their safety data. The safety team was relying on paper and Excel spreadsheets to record their safety data, which was proving to be both inefficient and costly. The lack of a centralized solution meant that risk assessments, audits, checklists, training records, accident/incident reports, and plant records remained separate and scattered. This not only made it difficult to keep track of all the data but also posed a challenge in viewing training compliance for multiple sites. The paper-focused system was not conducive to the efficient management of safety data across the company's 25 international locations.

Oslo University Hospital (OUH), the largest hospital in Norway and Scandinavia, was facing a significant challenge in managing its chemical safety. The hospital, which carries out over 1.2 million patient treatments annually and conducts a significant percentage of medical research in Norwegian medical centres, was struggling with the management of countless chemical Safety Data Sheets (SDS), conducting risk assessments, and making substitutions to reduce hazardous chemicals. The process of managing chemicals throughout their lifecycle, from procurement to waste management, was slow, costly, and often required external support. The scale and urgency of OUH's needs were critical, and a digital solution was needed to replace and secure its SDS.

The Plastic Surgeon, a UK-based cosmetic repair company, faced a significant challenge in managing the safety of their large team spread across the UK. The company uses a wide range of chemical products, including high-risk substances like fillers, adhesives, and solvent-based paints. Ensuring the safety of their staff from these hazardous substances was a top priority, but the company found it difficult to control these substances and understand their contents. This knowledge was crucial to provide the right protection for their staff. The challenge was not only to manage the hazardous substances but also to effectively communicate the correct protection measures to the staff working on site.

Sandviken Energi AB, a Swedish energy firm, was facing challenges in managing their chemical system. The company, which operates in various areas including district heating, electrical networks, electricity trading, street maintenance, broadband, water and sewerage, had a complex and disorganized system of safety data sheets for their chemicals. The lack of order in their safety data sheets posed potential risks to the safety and health of their employees and the environment. Furthermore, the company was using unnecessary chemicals, which not only increased their operational costs but also posed additional safety and environmental risks. The company needed a solution that would help them restore order in their safety data sheets, eliminate unnecessary chemicals, and improve the overall safety and efficiency of their chemical system.

Winvic, a leading UK construction contractor with an £800m+ turnover and over 400 staff, has always prioritized health and safety. Despite an already outstanding health and safety record, the company is committed to continuous improvement through its 'Doing It Right' behavioural safety initiative. However, as the company continued to grow, it recognized the need for enhanced digital systems to streamline its health and safety reporting and monitoring processes. The existing approach to reporting accidents and recording routine health and safety checks had served the company well, but with a large number of staff and sub-contractors working at various construction sites, a more holistic view of all health and safety activity was needed to maintain and build on its exemplary record.

YMCA Calgary, a charity supporting over 300,000 people monthly across 45 community locations and 9 permanent facilities, faced significant challenges in managing their safety program. The organization was heavily reliant on paper-based systems for inspection and incident reports, as well as hazard assessments. This resulted in a lack of visibility into their safety program and difficulty identifying areas of strength and weakness. The wide range of programs offered, from summer camps to swimming activities, further complicated hazard assessments. The lack of a centralized location for these assessments made it difficult to manage and update them regularly. Additionally, communication of necessary information to teams was challenging. With only three dedicated health and safety members supporting 800 staff, there was minimal insight into each facility's operations and limited reporting capabilities. This led to a reactive approach to safety, with employees not receiving the necessary feedback or resources to perform their jobs effectively.