Three Indicators to Measure Safety Performance

30 March 2016

Safety measures adopted by a company is just as important as measuring their financial performance or their productivity performance. While health and safety performance measurements are used as a tool to help prevent workplace injury and disease, it is difficult to determine what performance measurements a company should have in place to effectively and efficiently prevent workplace injury and diseases.

Why measure health and safety measure performance?

The main purpose of measuring a company’s health and safety performance is to provide information on the current status, as well as the progress of strategies and processes used by the company to mitigate health and safety measures related risks. This information is beneficial because it helps to:

  • Determine how the company’s health and safety management system operates in practice
  • Identify areas where remedial action is needed
  • Discover areas where a contractor safety training can be improved
  • Provide a basis for continual improvement
  • Provide feedback and motivation

Additionally, measuring a company’s health and safety performance also enhances their decision-making process. The measurement information helps in deciding:

  • Where the company is relative to where they want to be
  • What progress is necessary and reasonable given the circumstances
  • How that progress might be achieved against particular restraints, such as resources or time
  • The way progress might be achieved
  • Priorities and effective use of resources.

When should a company’s safety performance be measured?

Measuring a company’s health and safety performance is a continuous process. However, similar to any other activity, measurement should be both efficient and effective. Therefore, the frequency with which it takes place needs to be planned appropriately and as such, the following factors should be considered:

  • Suitable intervals to ensure that specific planned milestones are achieved
  • Monitoring the progress with the plans is aligned with the particular timescales for achievement
  • The potential for change from one state to another over time, such as during the initial design phase or whenever changes are made which could impact on the operation of the system or when information is obtained which indicates that the system as designed has failed or is flawed

Who should measure health and safety performance?

Health and safety measures adopted by a company must be examined at each level of management, starting with the most senior management. Additionally, the company will need to decide how to allocate responsibilities for both the active and reactive monitoring of performance at different levels in the management chain. Therefore, for measures to be effective, there needs to be performance standards in place—for example who does what and when, and to what effect.

Do you know the safety performance of all your workers on-site? Not knowing can have severe consequences, even death. Download your free ebook to learn how you can monitor, measure and improve the safety performance of your site today!

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Sonya Sikra

Sonya is the Brand Strategy Manager at GoContractor. She specializes in communicating how implementing tech in construction can drive productivity and profit.

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