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► MIS has become powerful tool for industry, trade and business in the modern world.
► It should be user friendly and easy to understand.
► With the edge of computer, the speed, accuracy and a variety of uses of information has been tremendously increasing in almost all walks of life.
► Computers are useful not only for storing information but also for generating data, designing, programming, processing, controlling, running, communication, personal use etc.
► There should effective MIS between safety dept. and the top management of the company to appraise the work being done by the department.
► Computers, FAX, internet, e-mail system can be used to devise various formats, tables, charts, symbols, graphs and documents to report, store information pertaining to accident, statutory requirements, compliance, work permit system, safety audit etc.
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS) FOR SAFETY
| Type | Example |
| Legal | Legal reports, returns, accident information, compensation etc. |
| Operational | Process control, fire protection, inspection reports, training programmes etc. |
| Tactical | Daily reports, procurement of safety equipments |
| Strategic | Required for long term planning e.g onsite, offsite plan, layout planning |
MIS FOR SMS (Safety Management System)
Compilation, collation and analysis of Information
► At a factory or workplace, information of hazards and past and current accidents should be collected first with facts and details. This is COMPILATION.
► Then it should be put together subject or major head wise.
► Then in each head, information should be combined and arranged in a proper order for the purpose of easy understanding or comparing in detail.
► This is COLLECTION of information.
► Then it should be analyzed or classified into subdivisions or subgroups to sharpen the information towards different subjects leading to some conclusion. This is ANALYSIS.
MODERN METHODS OF PROGRAMMING
► Such methods use computer as basic tool and software of required programmes. Therefore various software programmes are being developed and used for specific purposes.
Computer application and use:
► Process control in plants and laboratories
► CAD, CAM
► Accident and medical records
► Costing of accident and loses
► Causation analysis of accidents or hazardous events
► Automation of information paths and use of safety internet system
► Maintain long time qualitative and quantitative record of chemical exposure to workers.
► Maintaining environmental sampling and measurement data.
► Safety reports, manuals, procedures , audits, safety training
► Scheduling of inspections, surveys, meetings etc.
ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERISED SYSTEM
► Ready availability of data and ready printed copy of data.
► Elimination of monotonous or exhaustive manual labour.
► No need to keep duplicate records.
► Improved communication with neat, clean and correct copies. Electronic mail system can facilitate communication within and between facilities and within short time.
► Data standardization and accuracy.
► Improved analytical capabilities.
► Cost savings by increasing employee productivity, decreasing man power.
DISADVANTAGES (LIMITATIONS) OF COMPUTERISED SYSTEM:
► According to circumstances, need of computers is not always justified. Sometimes it may be premature or totally unjustified on economic grounds.
► They are not designed for automatic information generation or processing. An operator is needed to make data-entry and his error can give wrong or incomplete information or sometime erase it and manual search becomes necessary.
► Computers can suggest reference to documents. They can not eliminate the need to go through these documents to locate the required information.
► A typical virus can wash out all information stored in the computer. Then retrieval or restoration of data becomes necessary.
► Manpower reduction for unemployment.
