OSHA changes its perspective regarding workplace injuries
Download a guide to the new safety strategy
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced that it is taking an entirely new perspective on federal safety law compliance.
Put simply, OSHA will require companies to become more proactive in preventing injuries as opposed to planning upon records of past injuries.
“While lagging indicators can alert you to a failure in an area of your safety and health programs or to the existence of a hazard, leading indicators are important because they can tell you whether your safety and health activities are effective at preventing incidents,” OSHA has observed. “A good safety and health program uses leading indicators to drive change and lagging indicators to measure effectiveness.”
OSHA has issued an 18-page guide for companies to become more familiar with its new emphasis. The report emphasizes setting safety goals based upon identifying leading indicators, measuring performance against the goals and increasing employee involvement in committing to reaching the safety goals.