Bedfordshire and Luton is the FIRST Fire and Rescue Service in the country to embrace a paper-free accident-reporting and risk assessment software system - Rivo Safeguard.

The software solution has already been tried and tested in 37 countries by large private sector businesses such as Focus DIY, British Sugar and Wincanton.

Now it is benefiting Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service (BLFRS) with information flowing from station to management at the touch of a button.

Station Manager Martin Statham wanted to find a solution to tedious paperwork and duplication of effort for frontline, control room staff and managers when dealing with accident and near-miss reporting and risk assessments.

He also wanted a system which would also work for office-based Health and Safety management.

Trawling the internet he came across Rivo and its Web based Safeguard solution. He invited them in to talk to Group Commander (GC) Ade Feben.

"Neither of us are IT specialists but we saw that some big name companies used the system and had praised this system as being effective and efficient for them - so we asked Rivo if they could make it work for us. They have - and the result is that we now have central control of accident and near miss reporting with all the information in one secure place which managers involved in accident investigation, can access easily from any location.

From an operational perspective: It saves time on station and duplication of paperwork in fire control. The system assists in the co-ordination of reporting and investigations. It automatically handles administration by reminding people of tasks to be undertaken in the process, this is helpful where paperwork is not welcomed. The system also informs nominated individuals such as Station Commanders that they have had an accident or near miss in their area."

Meanwhile back at the office - the same system works perfectly for other Health and Safety issues such as risk assessments and audits:

"One of the advantages was that the Safeguard system is extremely user friendly, we have worked hard with Rivo to configure the system so that the forms look like familiar BLFRS pages on screen. Everyone likes it and can work with it. Most are surprised to find how easy it is use.

It allows self assessment of Health and Safety via an on screen series of questions or the checklists can be printed out and completed away from a PC. Any documents related to audits or accidents, such as reports or photographs, can be uploaded and attached the relevant form and every area is fully auditable".

GC Ade Feben summed it up:

"As a management information system or reporting tool, it allows us to carry out detailed analysis of causes and trends among all employees instantly, so now managers can report 'live' information in meetings.

This had been very difficult for us to administer centrally with various databases which didn't fit well together. Now we have one common system that serves the whole organisation.

As result of Rivo and Safeguard and the way they have tailor-made the software for us and our existing practices and procedures - we are working smarter."

"Rivo is pleased to welcome Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service as our first fire and rescue service client and we are looking forward to helping BLFRS make a vast improvement to the way their Health and Safety is managed," says Simon Hook, Director, Rivo Software.