Benefits of monitoring and measuring

A key aspect of safety management is to strive for continuous improvement of performance. Therefore it is vitai that organisations are abie to know how weii their systems are performing. Data gathered by monitoring systems wiii enabie an organisation to understand  

Proactive - proactive systems monitor the design, development, Installation and implementation of management arrangements for workplace precautions and risk control (management systems). 

Reactive - reactive systems monitor events that have already occurred such as personal Injury accidents, fires, III health and other evidence of deficient safety performance (these may be false alarms, near misses, etc.) (see Chapter 12). 

Organisations that relying solely upon incident, injury/ ill-health statistics for their monitoring and measurement of their management system, particularly in relation to fire, are only able to measure management system failures. Crucially due to human nature, there may be underreporting of incidents and accidents for numerous reasons, which have been discussed in Chapter 4. 

With regard to reactive analysis it is often the case, particularly in relation to fire, that a small number of incidents or accidents may lead to complacency and a belief that all is well, when this may not necessarily be the case. Statistics themselves are likely only to demonstrate a knowledge of outcomes, i.e. twisted ankle during evacuation and not the cause such as poor flooring conditions presenting a slip and trip risk. It is therefore essential for a combined reactive and proactive approach to be taken when considering safety monitoring or performance measurement systems. 

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