For electrical service provider Braun Electric Company Inc., nothing is more important than worker safety. Braun employees install electrical systems for companies which supply business gas and which exhibit gas fields across Southern California’s San Joaquin Valley, where accidents expose workers to arc flashes, shock, explosions or hazardous exposure to toxic gases or chemicals. To improve its on-the-job safety, Braun turned to FileMaker Pro.
Before Braun digitized its Job Safety Analysis (JSA) process, employees in the field had to fill out pre-job forms and associate standard operating procedures from large binders into job procedures. While this procedure was easy to implement at a single worksite, it ran into a serious scaling issue. There were two binders for each of over 300 company vehicles, and when a change was made to an existing safety protocol or the company instituted a new safety measure, a new sheet of paper had to be printed, laminated and hole punched for every binder in the company, and the old sheets needed to be collected. This entire process meant it took several weeks to roll out potentially life-saving safety guidelines.
“We needed a digital form and mobile solution that would help team members by providing information immediately and prompting electricians to answer questions about underlying safety issues they may not have considered,” said Braun’s Application Developer, Jason Larson.
Braun found its solution in FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go for iPad. Using the FileMaker Platform, the company created a Job Safety Analysis app that houses permits and counts the number of times safety personnel review the JSA resources. The JSA app also features a tracker that equips field leadership with on-site, digital and searchable information to help them keep track of data such as existing energy control forms, site diagrams and potential sources of hazardous conditions. The tool also allows Braun’s leadership teams to stay up-to-date with automated alert notifications.
The custom FileMaker solution also empowers units in the field, allowing supervisors to see where their crews are, crews to keep an eye on weather conditions and workers to access digital copies of safety handbooks.
Since adopting FileMaker and following best practices, the company’s safety record has become a model for the industry. For FileMaker database development that can help your business achieve its goals, contact MC Services to speak with one of our qualified IT consultants today.
