Geoffrey Moore states, “Without Big Data Analytics, companies are blind and deaf, wandering out onto the web, like deer on a freeway.“

This implies that only storing data is not enough. Analyzing and utilizing it to measure processes and systems is essential for a company’s growth and success.

You will not be surprised to know that an organization’s safety data plays a prominent role in reducing incidents and amplifying workplace safety. It is like having a quick analysis of what is working and what is not working in the safety department. This enables the safety officers to take immediate action and have proper fencing for future systems.

As can be seen in various other modern propositions for improving processes, safety inspections & risk assessments are data centric & rely on the correct numbers from safety observations in order to ensure that the focus is directed towards the right safety issues, working efficiently & capturing maximum value from the inspection processes. 

Great as it sounds, safety professionals engaged in these programs like inspections, risk assessments, hazard reporting, remediation etc. these continuously generate valuable information for creating a data driven advancement towards safety. In order to capture this data, their actions should be converted into data-driven insights like key performance indicators, performance metrics, safety metrics, etc. that can be referred to by everyone in the organization in order to understand the value of safety.

This brings us to envision what a data-driven safety culture looks like. We proudly state that a data-driven safety culture gives firm and accurate information about what is happening, what happened, and what action plans can be made to be ready for the future. 

Here are some key points on how data improves and scales the safety culture.

Shared Accountability

A data-driven culture serves information most appropriately. The shared analysis improves accountability to ensure that the tasks aligned happen in the way they are supposed to occur with no errors. 

The connection between teams, systems, and authorities is in synchronization and works responsibly to support and ensure the safety culture. The documents, reports, actions, and all data are shared responsibly among the concerned people. This helps create a good safe environment based on past predictions for the present and future.

Furthermore, making employees a part of the safety awareness by giving them a platform that allows them to make suggestions for improving safety at their workplace gives them a sense of responsibility & accountability.

Benchmarked Facility Operations & Performances

Facility benchmarking has allowed unleashing the true potential of facility managers. It is an ideal way of maintaining facility operations and preparing for the worst scenarios. The data-driven analysis provides a continuous improvement process to document and improve performance.

From managing safety wearables to implementing best practices and processes, benchmarking identifies the right areas of action. Benchmarking cuts through the data noise and is efficient and cost-saving. Comparing past and present data performance allows a quick and real-time understanding of the expert areas and areas of improvement. 

Increased Performance Efficiency

A safety data-driven organization records the number, frequency, and type of incidents, accidents and injuries along with the Corrective & Preventive actions that are to be undertaken, in an organized way. Along with these safety details, every team member has a personalised dashboard with the necessary information that is needed for them to work efficiently. The organization also maintains the employees’ data and the record of daily activities. This helps them know their employees and assign them the designated tasks and appropriate training. 

The data is so detailed that even the employees’ minute health concerns and birthmarks are stored in a high-end secured system. It helps employers to evaluate the effectiveness of their health and safety programs in the most appropriate way.

Effective Cost and Time Savings

Any incident and accident lead to extensive expenses and downtimes. This leads to many surprise expenses and affects the company’s investments. Therefore data-driven culture makes you prepared for the worst scenarios. The culture also informs you of cost-effective improvisation ways. 

Imagine having a readymade fund for emergencies. You know the costs, time, and effort to put in if an incident occurs. It boosts your confidence, and you can take risks and make informed decisions accordingly. For example, real-time analysis of a near-miss incident can save from dangerous future events.  

Provide the Safest Environment Possible

Safety enhancement is a result of experience. No matter how much you safeguard a place, the near-miss reporting and work experience enhance workplace safety. 

For example, whenever you hire a new employee, they may try to show their skills while compromising safe behaviour. An organisation with past data records can inform the newbie of the risks if they do not follow safety procedures.

An EHS portal ensures that everyone has access to safety features and knows how and when to act in case of incidents. It also informs about risk assessments, CAPA reports, incident reporting, and even the tiniest information related to safety. 

Data-Driven Safety Culture is A Win-Win Situation

Besides the key factors listed above, data-driven safety culture has proved successful for many organisations. Right from reduced incidents to increased near-miss reporting, it has amplified safety and ensured that employees are more vigilant. 

A safety data culture puts everything in place. Everything is monitored constantly, from increased ROI, cost savings, and training programs, to employees’ well-being. Therefore, we agree that data integration is the first step toward excellent workplace safety!