Chapter 5:
Tracking the return on safety
It’s also important to prove that you will be able to track these initiatives in order to show their value to the business and create a stronger case for the future.
Now you have a terrific opportunity to integrate safety metrics into the “executive dashboard” (i.e. what is discussed at the regular meetings). You’ve established that your safety initiatives have business value, which means you can ensure that the measurements that lead to business value-creation can be tracked.
Pick two measurements related to your chosen initiatives. Track them and report them to the executive team (monthly, quarterly, etc.) By demonstrating that you have the numbers to back up your progress, you’ll be building the credibility to roll-out future EHS initiatives with less push back.
Here are some examples of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you can report to your senior management team:
The number of corrective actions completed by supervisors or staff.
The number of hours of administrative work taken off the shoulders of the site supervisors multiplied by the standard hourly rate.
The percentage of training requirements (certificates, courses, etc.) linked to the employee training matrix that are valid and in good standing versus not.
Change in actual injury rates (i.e. Total Recordable Injury Frequency).
Change in actual injury rates (i.e. Total Recordable Injury Frequency).
Number of new clients tracking the return on safety.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are metrics that drive the desired performance level but also serve to indicate as reasons for why the performance is at its current level. Performance is what you define as your ultimate safety and business goals. Don’t confuse the two!
Many organizations have already started to incorporate a combination of lagging and leading safety indicators into executive reporting processes (i.e. incident rates and hazard IDs completed, respectively). The emphasis on ultimate performance can be strong and sometimes driven by your clients, as is commonly the case with TRIF rate calculations.
However, performance indicators to why the performance is the way it is can help gear your attention to prevention rather than reporting on the past.
It may seem small, but trying to get relevant safety metrics for your company incorporated into regular reporting processes is remarkably useful. It will benefit both you and the company in many ways.
It ensures:
- You get a seat at the table for executives, reporting, and decision-making purposes
- You can prove your performance because it’s being quantitatively measured, instead of being anecdotal evidence
- The company invests in supporting systems and resources that ensure information can be appropriately gathered
- You can make better safety decisions because you’ll have a better understanding of where your company is and which direction it is going
These are just a few of the benefits you can obtain. Once your initiatives can be framed within the business value context and prioritized effectively, they’ll be set up for the greatest chance for success.
Furthermore, if you track and regularly report your EHS and business value metrics, you’re holding yourself and your team accountable, enabling more buy-in from the rest of your executive team for the next initiative.
