Trends in Safety Metrics

Today s safety professional has moved beyond the standard measurement of safety performance in terms of the number of accidents or injuries and recordable injury and illness rates. More sophisticated techniques that involve safety performance measurement systems, ongoing tracking of results, and continual improvement processes have replaced the early measurements. While today s safety metrics still include accident and illness performance, they also encompass behavior-based safety, safety program implementation performance, and insurance costs and losses. 

In today s global economy, safety performance and its measurement have also become global. The International Organization for Standardization s ISO standards have become an integral part of many organizations safety management philosophy. ISO 

9000 and 14000 standards are global frameworks for many industries quality and environmental performance standards. These standards have become the means by which organizations have incorporated safety into production and management strategies. 

In Europe, the European Community has adopted a number of performance standards that serve as voluntary quality and environmental standards for its members. The European Foundation for Quality Management (EEQM) promotes and rewards organizations that adhere to their excellence model for quality. Accompanying these standards are safety and environmental performance measures that directly impact the overall quality of the product. These standards have also laid the foundation for documentation of performance standards and continual improvement process. 

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