Safety Performance Indicators

Safety Performance Indicators

Measuring and improving safety outcomes through data-driven insights.

What are Safety Performance Indicators?

Safety performance indicators (SPIs) are measurable values used to assess how effectively an organization is managing its health and safety performance. These indicators provide insight into both proactive and reactive safety activities, helping to reduce risk and improve workplace conditions.

Purpose of Safety Performance Indicators

SPIs serve to:

• Track progress toward safety goals
• Identify emerging risks and areas needing improvement
• Provide evidence of compliance with regulations
• Support safety-related decision-making

Types of Safety Performance Indicators

1. Leading Indicators: Proactive measures that predict and prevent incidents (e.g., safety training completion rates, near-miss reports).
2. Lagging Indicators: Reactive measures that reflect past safety outcomes (e.g., injury frequency, lost-time incidents).

Common Examples of SPIs in Health and Safety

• Number of safety audits conducted
• Frequency of toolbox talks or safety meetings
• Incident rate (e.g., TRIR – Total Recordable Incident Rate)
• Time to resolve safety-related concerns
• Compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements

Best Practices for Using Safety Performance Indicators

• Align indicators with organizational safety goals
• Balance leading and lagging indicators for a full performance view
• Regularly review and update metrics to reflect operational changes
• Communicate results transparently across teams
• Use trends to proactively improve safety processes

Well-chosen safety performance indicators help create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement—ultimately making the workplace safer for everyone.