By Wayne Pardy, CRSP

Measuring how well a safety program is working is a major challenge. Historically, companies have relied on accident and injury statistics to do this. Last week, in Part 1, we pointed out some of the limitations of this approach. Now, we'll look at an alternative model, one that integrates performance-based measures.

4 Measurements to Use

If you want to start changing the existing safety culture of your organization towards what I call an achievement-based safety culture, you need to change the way you measure success. That means you need to start looking at performance measures. There are four different performance measures you should use:

1. Objective Measures

These are elements that you can measure scientifically, such as a sound level, dust level or temperature level reading.

2. Subjective Measures

These are equally valuable elements but ones that aren't susceptible to scientific measurement, such as opinions on the quality of housekeeping or maintenance, or the adequacy of how 'safe" a particular work application may be being carried out, in the absence of no work method standard.

3. Quantitative Measures

These are elements such as an audit score, or an alternative measurement score which uses a standard set of numbers, or scale of numbers. These measures need to be accurate for an assessment of performance over time.

4. Qualitative Measures

Examples include a description of a condition or situation, such as the effectiveness of management meetings, a training course with a rating scale, or the efforts of a joint OH&S committee.

Caveat: Whatever measurement technique employed by your organization, you need to make sure it is meaningful, accurate, and can be used to help improve specific safety performance areas or general safety culture.

Measurement Examples

When you adopt performance-based measurements, you might have to change the ways you gather data. Here are some examples of methods and measurements you can use:

• Systematic inspections of the workplace using a standardized checklist approach, checking the conditions against established standards;
• Safety tours and observations of the workplace, work practices, or physical conditions;
• Audits or other similar assessments of your safety system;
• Observation techniques of conditions or practices (can include various equipment standards or personal practices or compliance to work methods, rules or standards);
• Degree of risk management improvement;
• Safety improvement targets -- have they been met/reached/achieved; and
• Number of safety improvement suggestions made by staff.

PUTTING A PRICE TAG ON INJURY

$1.12 million: The average cost of a motor vehicle death

$45,500: The average cost of a non-fatal disabling injury suffered in a motor vehicle crash

$8,200: The average property damage associated with a motor vehicle crash

Source: National Safety Council, "Estimating the Costs of Unintentional Injuries, 2003"

Story Tools:  Email This Post  Print This Post Top