e6.1 - The purpose and use of health and safety performance measurement

Question 1

Purpose of performance measurement

Answer 1

Checks performance against Health and Safety objectives/targets

Ensure compliance with legal requirements

Ensures risks are being controlled

Identifies areas of non compliance

Reassures workers risks are being controlled

Develops competence in health and safety

Question 2

Health and safety objectives

Answer 2

Broadly in line with legal objectives - HASWA section 2(2)

Safe plant and equipment

Use and handling of substances

Training and supervision

Safe systems of work

Safe place of work

Safe environment

Question 3

Monitoring methods

Answer 3

Proactive - ‘before it happens

Reactive - ‘after it happens’

Question 4

Proactive

Answer 4

Determining performance against pre set standards and assessing compliance to them

Question 5

Reactive

Answer 5

using past data and loss events to determine historical performance

Question 6

S.M.A.R.T.

Answer 6

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time bound

Question 7

K.P.I.

Answer 7

Key Performance Indicators

Question 8

Examples of KPIs

Answer 8

Number of health and safety inspections per month

Number of Risk assessments completed on time

Frequency of health and safety committee meetings

Percentage of staff trained in a particular subject

Accident frequency rate

Number of complaints by staff

Employee satisfaction levels regarding Health and Safety

Question 9

Leading indicators

Answer 9

Leading indicators focus improving health and safety performance

Can be used to measure the effectiveness of health and safety management

Question 10

Examples of leading indicators

Answer 10

Number of health and safety inspections per month

Number of risk assessments completed on time

Frequency of health and safety committee meetings

Percentage of staff trained in a particular subject

Question 11

Benefits of leading indicators

Answer 11

Give an objective view

Enables managers to initiate improvements

Indicate where resource should be allocated

Actions on leading indicators should help prevent accidents and incidents

Question 12

Limitations of leading indicators

Answer 12

Only effective if they are used to identify and introduce improvements to H and S management system

Excessive number of KPIs can become unmanageable

KPIs can be too general in nature

Question 13

Lagging indicsators

Answer 13

Focus on loss making event that have already occurred

Quantify performance in terms of accident statistics that can be used to analyse historical performance to show trends

Give no indication of future performance (preventing the next accident)

Question 14

Examples of lagging indicators

Answer 14

Accident frequency rate

Number of reportable RIDDORS

Number of H and S complaints by staff

Question 15

Benefits of lagging indicators

Answer 15

Relate to events that actually occurred

Orgainisational failings can be identified from investigations and improvements made to prevent reccurrence

Can be used to benchmark performance against other organisations

Question 16

Limitations of lagging indicators

Answer 16

Only measure failure, rather than what is being done well

Maybe under reporting

Element of chance whether an accident occurs rather than an indication that a hazard is being properly controlled or not

Small number of incidents may lead to complacency

Question 17

Arrangements for meeting objectives

Answer 17

Setting clear targets for all areas of work

Allocating key responsibilities to assist in the meeting of targets

Ensuring a method for the assessment of targets

Deciding the frequency of assessment

Regularly reviewing data to determine actions required to improve

Question 18

Making recommendations based on performance

Answer 18

Management should periodically review data that has been collected and assess performance against KPIs

Where KPIs have been met, no action required

Where KPIs have not been met, management may need to adjust arrangements to ensure the targets are complied with

Question 19

Typical adjustments in arrangements

Answer 19

Providing employees with more training

Assigning staff with new responsibilities

Replacing older equipment with new

Improving SSW