How do you measure success? You look for things that you can track and measure. These key indicators are pretty standard, and should be documented and communicated as part of your safety program:
•Workplace inspections (KPA audits and your myKPAonline.com account are excellent resources)
•Exposure assessments
•Injury, illness, and incident tracking
•Employee input
•OSHA assessment
A note about injury rates: They’re a little misleading because they are lagging indicators- they do a great job at showing performance under past circumstances and are not reliable for predicting future performance (but you still have to track injury rates for reporting to regulatory agencies- so don’t ignore them).
Get a clear picture of where your program is headed: Culture predicts outcomes.
•Track work practices and sustained behaviors that increase or reduce hazards
•The level that culture supports safety objectives and activities
For example, how fast are issues addressed in your myKPAonline account?
•Workers’ interest in safety activities and behaviors
•The value placed on workplace safety by senior leadership compared to other objectives
Tags: I2P2, Investigation, OSHA, safety indicators, workplace injuries
“not reliable for predicting future performance”
Good point. We don’t just want to see how well we performed when an accident occurred, but focus on what an improved safety program is preventing.