What are the Key Metrics to Track Safe Work Culture?

A company can only be successful if it provides congenial, safe and healthy environment to workers. Workplace safety, like any other important elements of a business, forms major part of key performance indicators (KPIs) which need to be continuously assessed, analysed and track significant metrics that show performance.

KPIs are generally used to monitor lagging or exceeding performance related to workplace safety. It is the responsibility of safety managers to continually track KPIs to maintain safe and health work culture. Lagging indicators provide details of past incidents such as near misses and help to formulate effective preventive measures. Leading indicators show effective working of all parameters of safety system.
While analyzing KPIs, workplace managers should know what should be measured, global sets of standards and how to set and achieve realistic targets.
Reporting any small incidents such as near misses, can be an important part of safety management. Employees must be trained and encouraged to report every small event concerned to safety to their reporting manager. Such practices should help to formulate effective safety plan to avoid accidents and health problems. Let’s discuss about important KPI metrics that managers should track to develop safe and healthy workplace.

Like other business units, Health and Safety departments track key performance metrics.Even if you do not report any accidents, this does not mean that you should become complacent and assume that your safety operations are effective. Health and safety metrics depend on your objectives and hopes. Measuring health and safety KPIs effectively will help you achieve a robust safety culture.This article has compiled a list of seven essential metrics you should be tracking in your business.

Reporting incidents should be taken on priority though in many places, employers don’t press for it. Near misses can trigger future major accidents. Hence documentation is essential for creating an effective preventive plan. Companies can curb incidents when it takes cue from minor incidents.

Every accident, however small may be, should be reported and recorded with minute details. Employees participation is crucial for tracking near misses. Most of the time, incidents can go unnoticed due to lack of cooperation or knowledge of employees. Managers must provide effective channels to record every incident and encourage workers to do so.

Safety experts and managers must keep track of number of safety audits and inspections carried out on monthly/quarterly or annual basis. Regular auditing can reduce gaps, if any, and improve safety standards.

While corrective action plan to reduce potential risk is the option, one can’t simply ignore the fact that risk perceptions should be regularly, monitored, documented and reviewed to identify similar patterns so that comprehensive risk mitigation mechanism can be worked.

Employees of all levels should be given appropriate risk control and management training by competent experts to establish good practices in work environments. Make sure that employees should be aware of company policies and procedures for safe culture. Every employee, irrespective of hierarchy, must be an active participant of adhering to safety standards.

Employees’ well-being should be the buzzword for any health and safety program. But what metrics should be followed? There are several indicators such as absence rate, days lost due to ill-health, amount paid for temporary staffing and sick leave and reduce in performance by working staff.

Overspending on health and safety initiatives can also dent performance of the company. Hence it is essential to track spending on health and safety so that upper limits can’t be breached.From the available feedbacks obtained from key OHS metrics, a good and effective risk management system can be evolved. By combining both lagging and leading indicators, a safety and health system can be achieved.