Measurement is the process of assessing an organization’s efforts and tracking progress over a specific time. Each organization must have safety measurements that identify whether their safety initiatives are effective.
All too often, a safety management system is measured by its failures, which are injuries or lost time. This is focusing on the outcomes rather than on the system itself. The simplest way to think of measurement is that the process is what needs to be measured, not the outcomes. The items to be measured will be directly related to the goals of the safety management system. The easiest way to determine whether a strategy is working is to measure it. One model that may be used follows a five-step process.
- Identify failures – what is it that needs improving?
- Identify causes – why does it need improving?
- Identify corrective actions – what will be done to improve it?
- Identify how actions will be measured – what can be tracked?
- Set goals for the measurement – how many activities need to be completed?
When determining measurements, the acronym S.M.A.R.T. is often used. Measures must be:
- Specific – they must apply to certain activities, such as how many employees have received orientation.
- Measurable – they must be something that can be measured, measuring enjoyment of the orientation would not apply.
- Action oriented – they require some type of activity to be completed, such as a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA).
- Realistic – if not a single JHA has been completed, it would be unreasonable to set a measure of completing 50 in a week.
- Time bound – they need to be set to a time frame, such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Measures must also be valid and reliable. Validity in a measure ensures that the intended activity is being measured and the results will assist in determining whether the activity helped toward achieving a specific goal. For example, if the goal was an increase in the use of PPE for a particular area, measuring the number of safety talks that discussed PPE may be valid. Reliability refers to the information being collected. No matter who takes the measurement or how many times it is done, the results need to be consistent. Measuring the number of hazards identified during a formal inspection completed by different individuals may not be reliable due to their individual perception of a hazard.
When determining measures for use inside an organization, it is important to incorporate both proactive or leading, and reactive or lagging measures. Proactive measures are those that give an indication as to how the safety management system is functioning and whether certain activities are being completed. They could include measuring the number of employees that have received specific training for example. Reactive measures are after the fact and provide information as to the failures of the system. They include such measures as injury rates or compensation costs. While the use of proactive measures is critical to the proper function of a safety management system, it is also important to use reactive measures as well.
Measurement must occur at all levels of an organization, and individuals need to be aware of the measures that apply to them. For example, managers may measure how many formal inspections are completed in their departments. Supervisors may measure how many safety talks they have and workers may measure how many hazards are identified in their area. Typically, the lower the organizational level, the more proactive the measures should be.
The measurements that are developed become the standard by which the organization is compared. Measuring the performance of the entire safety management system is critical, as it helps to identify whether the system is functioning as intended. This measure is the audit, and it too must have a specific standard to which it will compare.
Risk is something that must be managed by every organization. Peter Drucker stated that “the guiding principle of business economics is not to maximize profits, but is to avoid loss”. Numerous studies have identified that 85 per cent of an organization’s loss can only be controlled by management. A Safety Management System Audit (SMSA) is a tool that can assist an organization manage and control loss.
When the current system fails to effectively control the losses in an organization, there may be a variety of reasons. However, they will typically fall into one of the following categories.
- The programs in the system are insufficient.
- The standards are poor.
- Failure to comply with the standards.
Insufficient program
This is a program that fails to identify the risk potential for a particular element in the safety management system. It does not adequately assess the relationship between the workers, procedures, and the environment. For example, assume that an inspection program developed and implemented does not address pre-use inspections of tools and equipment. This could certainly lead to an incident that will result in a loss.
Poor standards
Standards may be considered poor if they are not set high enough or they are not clear about the procedures to follow, who is responsible, and when the activities are to be completed. For example, if the above inspection program identified the need for pre-use inspections, but failed to assign responsibility for it, they would not occur. Effective standards ensure that everyone understands what is required of them.
Failure to comply
When the standards are adequate and the program is well designed, it will still require individuals to fulfill their responsibilities. Failure to do so can occur at any level in an organization. Once the failure occurs at a certain level, it is unlikely that those below it will comply. This can be the result of poor communication, lack of enforcement when the acts occur, or lack of reinforcement of desired behaviours.
Measurement is critical to the prevention of loss. By employing proper measures for management of health and safety, an organization can easily determine what is working and what is not. This will lead them down the path of continuous improvement.
