PowerApps solution for SWMS

SWMS using PowerApps solution provides an organized archive of all paperless SWMS forms in SharePoint library that ease findability of documents and regulations

What is the SWMS form?

line

A safe work method statement (SWMS) is a document that presents the high risk construction work activities at a workplace, the hazards arising from these activities and the measures to be put in place to control the risks. In general, an SWMS contains information on the nature of the hazards involved in a given task, the safety controls used to reduce the risk created by those hazards, and the method of implementing each safety control.

Moreover, it contains details about the date the work will be performed, the person responsible for ensuring the work is completed safely (e.g., the site manager), and the workers consulted during the creation of the SWMS.

The goals of the SWMS include ensuring that everyone on the worksite has the same understanding of the risks involved and that everyone knows how to work in a way that reduces those risks. Because an SWMS must list the names of the workers, supervisors and principal contractors who are responsible for overseeing compliance with the terms of the SWMS, its use establishes a clear chain of responsibility that any safety incidents should occur. 365 Digital Consulting is now offering a PowerApps solution for SWMS.

 

clients icon

CLIENT

Construction and Mining Sites
line
info icon

INDUSTRY

Building and construction

line
technology png picture

TECHNOLOGIES

SharePoint Online PowerApps

Want Free One-Hour Microsoft Office 365 Consulting?

free online Microsoft 365 consulting appointment

What are the challenges?

line

Using SWMS paper forms have always been full of challenges. Some of them are listed below:

  • This whole manual process takes a lot of time and effort to be accomplished
  • Lack of storage space: Storage isn’t scalable. Unlike electronic records stored on cloud servers, paper  records need physical space for storage purposes.
  • Lack of findability when you need to find a document in a short amount of time
  • The documents maybe prone to security issues due to lack of backups
  • Due to the fact that they are paper-forms, they would be prone to damage
  • Document transportation is a difficult procedure
  • Time Consuming & Error Prone
  •  It would certainly have editing problems
  • High costs of paper production
  • Environmental damage

What PowerApps solutions for SWMS did we provide?

line

First and foremost, we created a Master form for SWMS in SharePoint Online for the header information including some columns that have  multiple choices, Lookups, single choice and etc.

Then we created another detail list which includes Job Steps of the master form. This form also includes columns for Tasks, Hazards, Risks, Likelihood, Consequence, Risk Score, etc., some of them were linked to other lists in the backend.

In the meantime, we designed 5 screens in PowerApps covering all the forms and templates that were already created in the SharePoint.

Therefore, when every stakeholder fills the SWMS form on PowerApps, the form is saved on SharePoint accordingly.

What were the final results?

line

Following the implementation of the SharePoint Online and PowerApps solution for SWMS, all managers, site supervisors, safety inspectors or staff can quickly complete the SWMS forms using mobile devices. Then they can assign the related metadata to the forms such as  photographing the identified risks, uploading forms and entering in text/data.

For each project, the site/project manager can create a folder on SharePoint and save the SWMS forms on the document library of the SharePoint. Therefore, they can be searched and found quite easy.

Some of the advantages of going paperless with electronic SWMS forms include:

  • Having an organized archive of all SWMS form in one place:
    Through collected user input using the paperless SWMS features, specific notes and procedures all attached to the forms, the project manager can have a through library of all SWMS forms and their complete metadata and backup them as well.
  • Describing the measures to control risks: Notes, regulations, risk matrix and other relevant documents can be quickly accessed on the mobile device to understand the measures in place to controls risks and prevent any hazards from occurring.
  • Identifying high risk construction work and steps within a specific job/process quickly:
    By using a paperless SWMS on mobile devices (tablets or smartphones), imagery can be taken of identified high risk areas and notes added to explain the situation.
  • Creating preventative steps to implement the risk control measures:
    Users can then access the control section in place to control risks.  All steps can be sent from the mobile device in real time to the relevant personnel (supervisors and safety mangers).

FAQ

FAQ

If you have filled a paper based SWMS form, you know the challenges. You need to bring pen and paper all the time, complete and sign it and scan it then send it back to office for proper storage. But using SWMS electronic form, you only need your mobile phone to fill out the form, you can sign it using your finger on screen, it automatically save for complience purpose and it keep record for duration which is needed so no scanning is required.

Even if there is no out of the shelves App, your Office 365 is a good platfrom to make such form and workflow automations. PowerApps allows you to build a mobile app for the purpose of SWMS. It also have sign on glass (esign) capabilities. All the information would store back into SharePoint which is good for document management and long time storage purpose.

Field workers need a mobile app so they can easily fill out information on the go. PowerApps from Microsoft Office 365 suit will allow you to build a mobile app. Power Automate allow you to generate word document and pre-populate all the information into your template. At the end it store the signed document back into SharePoint as a repository for your data.

Using a SWMS mobile app that develop using PowerApps (part of Power Platform) you can have a sign control on the form that allow your staff to sign it on their mobile form. The signature can and all the information filled out can be populated into a word template so a filled signed SWMS would generate at the end and store into SharePoint online on office 365.

Other Case Studies

Other Case Studies