ABSTRACT
The second chapter in this part digs deeper into building a program that can be objectively measured. The author does this by pointing out that often assessments and audits are used as punishments (sticks) for poor performers. The danger in this practice is that often there is no grading done and hazards which pose little or no risk to workers are sensationalized while other, more dangerous, conditions are ignored. In order to remedy this misguided practice, the author presents two parallel methods for measuring performance. In the first method, he accounts for the flaws typically found in using lagging indicators (such as incident rates) and provides a simple means of objectively measuring the severity of past incidents. The second method he provides is a basic risk assessment tool that should be used to grade any hazard, near-miss, or other safety-related factor on a worksite. By using these two methods in tandem, organizations will be able to see if their efforts truly drive meaningful change or are simply a waste of time.
