OSHA RECORD KEEPING

pork1 · September 2005

My company has been using OSHALOG Program for about 5 years and I am looking at a software program developed as (firstreport.org). Have any of you been using this program for record keeping purposes, and what are your thoughts on this program verses OSHALOG or some other program that helps an employer with multiple work sites to keep compliant information and record copies?

PORK

Peyton Irby MS · September 2005

There are different programs available although I have not heard of firstreport.org. If it fulfills OSHA's requirements, and has ease of use, why not try it?
Peyton Irby
Editor, Mississippi Employment Law Letter
Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A.
(601) 949-4810
[email]pirby@watkinsludlam.com[/email]

SMace · September 2005

We use firstreport and like it. I don't deal with it day to day, but my staff has not complained. So it must be OK.

TN HR · September 2005

I use the built-in tool in ABRA. I may check-out the ones you guys listed. Out of curiosity, Pork, if you've been using one product for five years now, why the switch?

pork1 · September 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-29-05 AT 11:21AM (CST)[/font][br][br]TN HR: Support and ease of building reports from the data bank year to year is an issue. Our company switched to a national server for all of our companies so that we are all linked into one server. When we did that we lost the link between my computer and my assistant's computer. So now I have old data and she has got new data. We can not install on our national network and We must then repurchase OSHALOG and take the chance that we may loose some data in the process. Tech service has not been able to help us re-link so I am most likely through with them. If I am going to buy new, then I wanted to make sure we have the ability to save the current data for the past through 2005 and start a new system up in 2006, with zero data for the future, but 100% of reliable data for the past checked and saved.

OSHALOG is expensive for the service provided and to me "customer service" is a critical component. We do the record keeping for 15 worksites and force feed them with the documentation required to have on-site for inspection and review should someone show up with interest.

PORK

TN HR · September 2005

I would think you would be able to get your IT support folks to place the application on the server and simply map you and your assistant's drives to the network drives so that both of you could update and have access to the latest data.

Get your IT folks to provide a solution before you decide to reinvent the wheel.

Gene

pork1 · September 2005

Gene: I have been there and done that. I am not going to re-invent the wheel only pay for a good solid system which does not need much tech support! My IS guy is absolutely involved and he does not recommend we install on our server which now incorporates six state corporate body. I have asked our Corporate HR & Safety guys to get with the IS guy and listen to the on-line version pitch and just maybe we will be able to all hook for about $1.50 per employee. I have no idea as to how large our corporate body is but say a thousand that would be about $1500.00 per year for all work units and sites. So if that does not wor, I am probably going to leave OSHALOG and go with f"irstreport". My assistant reports back to me that it appears to do everything that OSHLOG does and much more simple. John the salesman is also the salesman and the tech rep, he wrote the program and knows everything that needs to be known. I have spoken with now two references that have the program and the one here in Mississippi tells me customer service is where he comes from too, and John has given him every answer and problem solved immediately.

Thanks to everyone, if there are any others with a need, I recommend you contact "John" at [url]www.firstreport.com[/url] and let him tell you what he can do for your company and you.

PORK

Got to run and been "Super Boar" for a couple of hours.

Craig D · September 2005

I also use Abra, Gene have you had problems with it or are you just thinking there maybe something better/

TN HR · September 2005

No problems Craig. I love the way it works. I suppose that my only "wish" is that it would print a form tha more closely resembles the OSHA printed material instead of the generic-looking format it prints on. Either way, OSHA recognizes the form as valid as long as it has all of the pertinent data on it.

pork1 · September 2005

SMACE: Great without taking up other posting space can you tell me the strengths and weaknesses of "firstreport" from the operator perspective (use my e-mail unless this would be of interest of others).

The salesperson was reluctant to give me any name or e-mail of any customer as a possible breach of privacy! Now, I like that, he did agree to contact a few and get some testiment for him and post them on their WEB page. He said that they have been around for well over 10 years, but i had never heard nor seen any material on them. I picked up their name from "Worker's Comp Bottom Line" and their link is [url]www.firstreport.org[/url], made contact and "John" was a good salesman and got me more interested. I have also used ABRA CADABRA in a previous company, but did not ever use their W/C because we had an inhouse manual system that was easier and more reliable called pencil and paper data collection and input. I relided on my ability to handle the work, besides we only had 59 people and one work site. It was also job security, for no one else knew the system nor the data but me. When I was taken out and moved to corporate where 181 days happened and I was given my notice of a RIF, then I realized it did not matter, I had to go back at least once a month for 6 months to help them do the accumations and accident reporting data and inspections/audits.

PORK

SMace · September 2005

You can easily set up multiple sites and have people at each site manage their own info. You can generate many different reports. Like type of injury, injury by shift, location, time, etc. It also generates the OSHA 300 log, in the OSHA format. Like I said, I don't deal with it day to day, I just pulled this off the top of my head

pork1 · September 2005

SMACE: That is what I have heard from our members that are using the firstreport system, ease of use, cost, and great customer service. These are the components that I feel will make the difference for our needs. January 1, 2006 is when we will most likely have the system installed with my work site being the supervisor and my assistant's being the primary work site. John tells me that we can do that for the single price, which is cheaper than being required to buy two work sites. The cost for this version is $575.00 for a two site operating program with one being the supervior and the other the operator. The cost for annual sustainment and custoner tech/support is $150.00 annual. That is less than OSHALOG and annual renewals with poor customer service.

Thanks to all who posted on our network and to those who posted on my e-mail address.

Thanks to M.L. Smith for this network to which we HR professionals can blog together for everyone's benefit. By the way my name is Richard and PORK is my game, I am happy to inform all that we have now achieved the a weekly production goal of birthing "baby pigs" / "piglets" of 11,000 a week. We are now shooting or (dosing) for 12,000 aweek. So eat some pork and enjoy life with others, while you cook this week-end. LSU is coming to town and tomorrow the "DAWGS" will be chasing the tiger; "GO DAWGS"

PORK

Hunter1 · September 2005

We use OSHALOG and like it, although support has been a challenge at times.

OSHA RECORD KEEPING

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