Safety Metrics

Goodhart’s law says… “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” This “law” is often used when denouncing poorly devised safety metrics and/or incentive programs.  In most situations where there is a weak/immature Safety Process/SMS, the “law” makes sense; however, this is because, without strong leadership and a functioning Safety Process/SMS,…...

As you have figured out I am all about having a “safety process” rather than a bunch of “safety programs” and one thing I learn in my Six Sigma days is that a “safety process” MUST function exactly like our quality processes to be as successful.  This means we HAVE TO continually “sample” our safety…...

RSA Animate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us Of course I am posting this with the slant to “safety incentives”, but this video DESTROYS the concept of incentives with the review of some very valid and significant studies.  THIS IS A MUST SEE for anyone that already has or is considering starting…...

Recently OSHA has been making waves in the “incentive program” arena and in most cases, rightfully so! But incentive programs DO WORK when they are IMPLEMENTED and MEASURED PROPERLY! The big concern with incentives is that the employer puts too much emphasis on the end results and NOT ON the SAFETY PROCESS that produces the…...

When lives are at risk, being one percent wrong is all wrong! Every safety, health, or environmental professional deals with situations, which illustrate a broader point. One project recently drove home for me a reminder of how little room there is for error in a field where lives are at risk. This particular project was…...

This is the first of several articles I intend to write over the next several months regarding incentive programs and how they can PLAY a SIGNIFICANT and POSITIVE role in improving our true safety performance.  Recently OSHA issued an internal memo discussing the use of “safety incentive programs” and this has caused quite a stir…...

What is management leadership in safety and health? Management demonstrates leadership by providing the resources, motivation, priorities, and accountability for ensuring the safety and health of its workforce. This leadership involves setting up systems to ensure continuous improvement and maintaining a health and safety focus while attending to production concerns. Enlightened managers understand the value…...

1.) What is a Safety Contact? Safety Contacts are a conversation between a “manager” and an employee that is focused exclusively on safety! 2) Who is considered a Manager? A “manager” is considered to be all levels of management (usually defined by “exempt” status), but also includes the Leadership Team such as Engineers, Shift leads/…...

Measurement is a key step in any safety management process and forms the basis for continuous improvement…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

Below are examples of “measurable” and “auditable” safety activities that have proven to be effective when properly implemented, managed and measured. A) Job Safety Analysis –   Each operation is required to perform _____(#) JSA’s a ________ (shift, day, week, month, quarter, etc.).  These JSAs are required to be signed off by the Department Manager and…...

I have mentioned the former plant managers that I was so privileged to have had to opportunity to work for these pioneers in safety.  These were Chemical Engineers, but they were safety geniuses before their time.  In 1996, I went to work for Dale Fannin, and I had no idea what I was in for. …...