Occupational health and safety can turn into an avalanche of paperwork very quickly. Expiring training, health checks, risk assessments and briefings – once a company has a lot of employees, managing all of it in Excel becomes almost impossible.
We asked one of our experienced users how VITS has changed their day-to-day work, and why even their international owners in Ireland and Finland are impressed.
Why is a dedicated tool for occupational health and safety so important?
For many, workplace safety is a “tedious obligation”, but in reality it is the foundation of employee safety and of the company’s legal standing. Our user is clear about this:
“It is the only way to manage every employee and all the information tied to them, including expiring training and documents,” says Kaido Kivistik, Production and Technical Manager at Rudus AS.
The habit of reviewing the employee risk index before every internal training session means nothing is left to chance. This is not simply about ticking a box – it is real control over the working environment.
The features that change the game
The greatest day-to-day value comes from the training and briefing modules. The digital system brings peace of mind – when someone asks about a training requirement, the answer comes quickly: “The system hasn’t notified me, so everything is in order.”
„Alongside the monthly check of employees in the system, to see whether all the required signatures and entries have been completed correctly. Then at the start of the year I take a broader view based on training needs and go through what training lies ahead for the company and its employees,“ Kaido explains how he keeps an overview of training.
Even though the system keeps things under control, a diligent specialist still takes a look at the big picture at the start of the year to plan what is coming.
International recognition: the Irish and the Finns are impressed
One of the biggest challenges in an international company is reporting to the parent company. How do you prove to a manager in another country that things are in order in Estonia?
Here VITS has proved indispensable. By adding English titles to the briefings, the system is readable for foreign partners as well. “I have had to demonstrate to both the Finns and the Irish that training has been carried out – they are 101% delighted with this capability,” the user shares.
„It is also good to sit down with the external audit team – the Irish owners and the independent workplace safety auditor they send – while they work through the company’s internal rules, of which there are a great many, practically a book, and ask for the material. You can simply click, find everything in one system, and prove with the employees’ signatures that the material was received and read,“ says Kaido.
How do employees adapt to the change?
Rolling out new software can feel daunting, but experience shows that clarity and consistency win. The trick is simple:
- Every briefing is confirmed digitally
- The system sends reminders
- Other departments are involved too, such as occupational health check-ups and the issuing of personal protective equipment.
In summary: Excel versus purpose-built software
Ask how much time VITS saves and the answer is telling: “I honestly can’t say any more, because it has been so long since I had to use Excel.” That is the best sign of a good tool – you forget how complicated and time-consuming the work was before you started using it.
