PC Compliance Suite
By RMS Systems, Inc.
First, some additional information on the industry...
The U.S. Department of Labor´s Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that every year:
q       Over 6,000 Americans die from workplace injuries,
q       An estimated 50,000 people die from illnesses caused by workplace chemical exposures,
q       6 million people suffer non-fatal workplace injuries
q       Injuries alone cost the economy more than $110 billion a year.
Considering the majority of workplace injuries are preventable, companies must be actively encouraged to make continual improvements to their workplace in order to reduce these appalling statistics.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) covers much more than keeping track of job safety and health hazards. Â Many other systems are simply sold as isolated solutions to specific problems. Â RMS Systems has broadened the scope of H&S software to offer customers a complete solution to your H&S needs: the PC Compliance Suite.
What is PC Compliance Software?
RMS Systems has developed an award winning package, the PC Compliance Suite, that is composed of four fully-integrated database management programs: Training, Safety, MSDS and Right-To-Know record keeping.
 The four programs to PC Compliance Software include:
1) Â Â Â Â Safety Management Software helps companies in tracking injury, illness, first aid, and workmen´s compensation records in order to meet your OSHA compliance record keeping and reporting needs. Â This software provides more than 30 pre-loaded reports and graphs including an accurate OSHA certified 200 log. Â A state-specific First Report of Injury reports module is also available.
2) Â Â Â Â Training Management Software keeps your employees´ training records and programs up-to-date. Â This program allows you to assign training requirements by job title for class scheduling, conflict checking and wait listing. Â In addition, this program offers pre-loaded OSHA/EPA/DOT course descriptions. Â Individual Training Manager and Computer-Based-Training interface modules are also available.
3) Â Â Â Â MSDS Management Software enables companies to comply with OSHA Hazard Communication Standards. Â This program is being promoted as the most flexible and cost-effective MSDS and labeling software available and gives companies the power to generate request letters, manage their MSDS or track employee MSDS requests.
4) Â Â Â Â Right-to-Know Management Software uses a pre-loaded database of over 5,000 chemicals to detect EHS chemicals and will automatically create SARA Tier I and Tier II reports. Â RMS Systems argues that creating SARA reports using their RTK has never been easier.
You can either purchase each package as stand-alone module or together as the Compliance Suite, or in any combination that suits you. Â One of the benefits to purchasing the Compliance Suite is that since the programs share a common database, you never need to re-enter existing data, and therefore, significantly reduce redundant data entry and long- term costs. Â
Some of the highlighted features of the Compliance Suite include:
q       OSHA Certified 200 Log
q       Cost tracking functionality - helps you calculate and tabulate total costs associated with accidents/incidents, as well as monitor Workers´ Compensation and insurance costs
q       Pre-formatted reports identifying injury and illness rates, trend, causal factor analysis, and case profiles.
q       Graphing capabilities to view or print a variety of graphs
MSDS Management Software
q       Eliminate MSDS storage, updates or lost information - by scanning or importing your MSDS
q       Print MSDS´s for every chemical in your inventory
q       Track employee MSDS requests
q       Print portable container labels for your chemicals
q       Instant access to your MSDS information
q       Create SARA Tier reports
q       Simplify OSHA Right-To-Know recordkeeping
q       Automatic scheduling and conflict checking of training courses
q       Powerful reporting tool
q       Full desktop calendar
q       The ability to assign courses by job title
q       Cost tracking and reporting tool
Training Management Software                 Single user version               $499
Safety Management Software                     Network single user             $899
                                                                       Network 5 user                     $1,499
                                                                       Network 10 user                   $2,499
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Right-to-Know Management Software       Single user version               $699
MSDS Management Software                    Network single user              $1,099
                                                                       Network 5 user                      $1,699
                                                                       Network 10 user                    $2,699
You need to purchase an annual support subscription in order to access their full support services. Â
RMS Systems provides a FREE 30 day support period after which the client has the option to purchase the support subscription. Â Benefits include:
q       Unlimited phone, fax, and email support
q       Free product updates
q       50% discount on future upgrades
q       Periodic report enhancements
q       20% discount on Denver-based training
The support subscription price is always 20% of the list price of your software package.
Training
RMS Systems provides several options to ensure that your training needs are met. Â
1) Â Â Â Â Jump start training - The one-hour phone training session teaches you the basics features and functionality of the Compliance Suite.
2) Â Â Â Â Denver-based training is targeted towards intermediate and advanced Compliance users in a state-of-the-art, classroom-based setting.
3) Â Â Â Â On-site training gives multiple users the opportunity to receive training all at once
There is no limit to the number of employees, cases, departments, etc. that can be entered into the Compliance Suite.
q       120 MB of hard disk space,
q       16 MB of RAM,
q       486DX or Pentium Processor,
q       Standard monitor set at minimum, 800 x 600 display mode w/small fonts,
q       Windows 95 or higher.
When you first take a look at the screen, there aren´t any labels under the icons and you might wonder how you´re ever going to identify them. Â Don´t worry, labels pop up once you´ve passed your mouse indicator over them. Â This presentation helps the screen stay clear and uncluttered. Â However, the fact that your screen is clear and uncluttered could also mean that it will take a few seconds in order to find the right menu.
The sorting options make categorizing and identifying employees a snap. Â PC Compliance is arranged so that you can perform primary and secondary sorts using a dozen different fields such as location, company, and last name. Â This feature really saves you time when you´re trying to find someone and you have only partial information.
However, if you´re still having problems finding an individual, the Compliance Suite has a "Sleuth" feature that will assist you in pinpointing exactly what information you´re looking for. Â From a list of approximately 30 fields, the software will search to match the information that you´ve entered, even down to the name of the attorney that an individual has used.
You really almost don´t need training in order to be able to start using this software. Â It is easy to navigate, easy to understand and intuitively designed; everything is really "at your fingertips". Â
Reports are also a snap to print. Â You simply click on the type of report you want and a full listing is provided in the window beside. Â Each report title is easily identifiable and easily viewable over the screen before printing. Â So you always know what you´re printing out before you print.
Presentation and User-Friendliness
There are a lot of great little things that RMS Systems have added to their Compliance Suite to make their software as user-friendly as possible. Â For example, their "job titles" field automatically recognizes pre-saved job titles. Â All you need to enter is the first few letters of the job title, and the software automatically fills in the rest. Â In addition, for hire and termination dates, a little calendar pops up that you click on in order to fill in the dates.
Wherever possible, the software has automated the data entry process either by inserting drop-down menus or "clickable" boxes, to make it easy for the user.
They even have a button labeled "Recordable" that asks you a series of questions to help you determine whether or not the incident, accident, or injury is recordable! Â
They also have a tab labeled "Causal" that presents a series of questions to help you identify factors that contributed to an accident. Â Another individual who reviewed the Compliance Suite mentioned that the questions might be considered too basic and not comprehensive enough. Â My counter argument is that the listing is extensive and definitely puts you in the right direction for asking any questions that may be missing.
Considering the amount of detail required when dealing with workplace injuries, the Compliance Suite has really made it easy to track and record all OH&S and related information. Â They´ve packed their products with tons of functionality without a lot of clutter in an extremely easy-to-understand design.
In having looked at a few other OH&S products, I almost can´t believe that this package is so affordable considering all of the features, functionality, and value-added benefits that it offers. Â It really is one of the most user-friendly packages I´ve reviewed amongst all types of software, not just OH&S software. Â I must add that not only is it user-friendly, it is a truly powerful management tool that does its best to make your data management as easy and accessible as possible.
The reason why this product is so powerful is that, in combination with the other programs, its scope is much broader than simply OH&S records management. Â RMS Systems has really done a great job of meeting your companies´ needs beyond OH&S and doing it at an affordable price.
If your company has multiple geographic locations, RMS Systems, Inc. does offer a multi-facility version of Safety Management Software. Â This version is required in order to track multiple locations for OSHA record keeping as the single-facility version of SMS cannot track multiple locations.
Even if you don´t need an OH&S management tool, I would still encourage you to take a look at their Training Management Software to see if it fills all of your requirements. Â Considering each of the programs can be purchased separately, you can still use the Training Software even if you don´ t require the OH&S programs. Â Keep in mind it did receive "Best New Training Product of 1995" by HR Executive Magazine.
For more than 10 years, RMS Systems, Inc. has been designing state-of-the-art OSHA & EPA compliance software. Â PC Compliance Software has assisted more than 20,000 organizations, from "Fortune 1000" corporations to small businesses and education to government with the goal of eliminating hazardous situations in the workplace, improve overall safety, and simplify OSHA & EPA record keeping, while saving time and money. Â Check out their website at www.RMSsystems.com for more information.
You can also email them at info[at]RMSsystems.com.
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