News and Updates

Can VSM Be All Things to All People?




In terms of managing a safety program, VSM can be a lot of things to different people. It helps to create and maintain a safe and healthy work environment, and everyone plays their part.

When a VSM account is established, a Site Administrator is identified and given full access to VSM. The Site Administrator enters employee information and then assigns VSM user privileges based on the needs of the employee. The information in the Employee/User Status window must be completed for each employee who uses VSM.





Receives e-mails

• Automatically receives VSM management information
• E-mails may include updates on the program, changes in program operations, upgrades, and even regulator changes from OSHA
• Primary means through which VSM information is communicated on VSM operations and regulatory changes
• Most front line employees do not need this information

Administrator

• Person who has privileges to add/delete information, add/delete employees, and change how VSM works at each location
• Can have as many administrators as a company wants; generally only one or two employees are assigned administrator privileges (Having more than one or two administrators often results in uncoordinated and unnecessary changes in VSM)

Active

• For active employees or contractors
• When checked, VSM tracks related information, assigns training classes based on training group, monitors training classes to be taken and testing performance
• When an employee leaves the company, the Administrator removes this check from this box and all information moves to an inactive file
• VSM retains the user information but it does not show in future various reports

User

• If the only box checked is the Active box, the person is identified automatically a User
• Users have limited access to VSM programs and can only see information that applies to that individual
• Has access to information needed to maintain a safe work environment, tools to accomplish VSM tasks, and personal training records, but cannot make any significant changes in VSM

Contract

• For contract workers that are not employees and do not receive employee benefits
• OSHA regulations require all workers at a site be informed of potential hazards and then trained to protect themselves
• VSM creates and maintains the appropriate records to ensure contract workers are properly trained and activities documented

Super User

• A Super User is an employee given access to all portions of a company’s VSM program
• Super Users see all information related to the company and entered into VSM
• Useful for a company with several locations; Super Users can monitor safety programs for all locations (Such as ensuring that written programs reflect employee activities, that all training is completed in a timely manner, and a variety of other compliance requirements are completed)
• As a future upgrade to VSM, this concept will be applied to departments within a company (Supervisors will be able to see and manage those employees for whom they have responsibilities, giving greater control of employee activities and training)

So can VSM be all things to all people? Yes. Just depends on your level of responsibility as to what you get to see and do in VSM.

See other Virtual Safety Manager News & Updates.