e5.2 - The quantitative analysis of accident and Ill health data Flashcards
Accident statistics and ill-health data
Can be compared across the organisation - by department or by site
Can be used for benchmarking
Can be compared with national and international data
Comparison within organisation over time (trends in the data)
Accident statistics and ill-health data - variables to be considered
Reporting levels
Types of activity/risks
Accident definitions
Competence of workers
Calculating loss rates from raw data (methods)
Accident frequency rate (AFR)
Accident Incidence rate (AIR)
Accident severity rate (ASR)
Ill-health prevalence (IHPR)
AFR
Number of accidents x 100,000/Total number of man hours worked
Takes into account variations in work carried out
Considers overtime, temporary work, part time, etc.
AIR
Number of accidents x 1,000/Average number of people employed
Takes into account variations in the size of the workforce
ASR
Number of days lost x 1,000/Total number of man hours worked
Considers the severity of the accidents through the amount of days lost
IHPR
Number of cases of ill-health in the population x 100/Number of persons at risk
Percentage of population with the disease
Total population considered (contractors, visitors, etc.)
Advantages of using accident rates as a measure of H&S performance
A reliable, usable index (number) for specified events/criteria
Allow for accurate plotting of trends
Show actual occurrences of undesired loss events
Allow like for like performance comparisons, both internally and externally
Disadvantages of using accident rates as a measure of H&S performance
Historic measures that does not predict future performance
Indicate the effectiveness of previous rather than current safety measures
Accidents may not be reported
Numbers may be too small to be used as a reliable performance indicator
An absence of accidents does not mean that procedures currently in place are necessarily safe
