Riskology

Today, every organisation is aware of their responsibility to provide a safe workplace, and the majority has a health and safety policy to back this up. However, there is often a gap in knowledge around how well the company is actually performing in this area—and that’s where safety metrics can have a big impact.

In a nutshell, safety metrics are a useful framework to measure how well your health and safety policies and procedures are working. They provide you with valuable insight into any areas that can be adjusted to avoid potential hazards or incidents before they happen. They also show you what is working, so this can be built upon and expanded to increase positive outcomes across the organisation. 

Implementing safety metrics doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, it can be as easy as defining some KPIs and setting up a simple way of tracking, measuring and analysing them using the right software. 

So if you’d like to better understand and reduce safety risks across your organisation, read on to learn more about how safety metrics can help.

Analyse past incidents to avoid them in the future

It seems obvious, but too many organisations have a procedure for logging incidents, but lack the follow up steps and data to really understand how to avoid a repeat or similar occurrence in the future. With measurable data on not just incidents but also on specific KPIs that have not been met, you can put together a much clearer picture on where issues lie before an accident or incident occurs. With the right health and safety management software program you can identify trends (good and bad) and prioritise where action needs to be taken. These insights allow you to significantly reduce risks and improve the health and safety outcomes of all staff.

Understand your current performance so you can improve

Having real-time data available on how your workplace is measuring up against your pre-defined safety metrics gives you a clear window to continuously improve. With the ability to generate reports and track KPIs as frequently as you need, you can keep your finger on the pulse and be fully prepared to act swiftly as emerging trends are identified.

Implement effective changes to minimise future risks 

With KPIs defined, safety metrics in place and a capable software program storing and organising all your data, you are well-placed to plan effectively to reduce health and safety risks in the future. You can direct your resources into the right areas, to maximise the impact of your actions and investments. 

So, where do you start?

If you don’t currently have safety metrics and KPIs in place, it can be hard to know where to start. And while every business is unique, there are some metrics that can be almost universally applied, including:

• Hazard reporting
• Incidents and near misses
• Risk assessments
• Checklists and inspections 
• Corrective action management.

With RiskWare's Health and Safety Management Module, you can create, track and analyse the key safety metrics that matter to you and your business. To see how it could work for you, get in touch to organise a free trial today!