If you’re running a construction business or managing a worksite then you know the risk assessment process inside and out. You’ll know how to implement a safe work method statement (SWMS), rate a risk assessment matrix and complete a job safety analysis – all just part of remaining compliant with health and safety rules. All this paperwork seems like a hassle (and it is) so why don’t businesses involved in high risk construction work just buy risk assessments?

There’s two answers to this question. Firstly, businesses don’t just get up and buy risk assessments because free risk assessment software alternatives already exist. Otherwise called job safety analysis software, construction safety software or health and safety management software, these digital alternatives to paperwork are known to cut costs and improve productivity. So if you’re a manager or business owner, you’d know it makes more long-term business sense to invest in risk assessment software rather than buy the paperwork (esp SWMS).

The second reason why smart businesses don’t just buy risk assessments is because risk assessments in the workplace have a nasty habit of becoming obsolete as new hazards emerge. To remain compliant with OHS laws, risk assessments must be reviewed and updated as soon as working conditions change and more risks become apparent. So there’s little point buying an expensive SWMS document only to see it become obsolete once a worker finds some rusty nails sticking out of a floorboard.