Well, it’s time to get back to the grind after a nice holiday break.  It’s also a time for fresh starts and goal-setting for a new year.  It can be tricky to set safety goals in advance – sometimes it’s difficult to quantify how many incidents and accidents were prevented, or will be prevented.   However, there are some solid ways to set attainable goals for safety in your workplace.  Here some tips to set a tone for a very productive and safe year:

Think of safety goals as two categories – Quantitative (numbers) and Qualitative (how are you going to achieve that number?)

For example, start with your company’s injury rate, a quantitative goal – can it be lowered?   What about the number of safety inspections – can the amount be increased?  What about the number of employees participating in your safety program?  All great ways to lay out quantitative metrics.

Okay, you have a number.  Now think, how is your company going to get to that number? Is it by an emphasis program (ie. PPE usage), increased training, increased audits?  Come up with a statement outlining concrete steps or strategies to hit that quantitative metric.  Plan a timeline to carve the metric into smaller chunks that you can target to meet on a regular basis (monthly or quarterly). Measure how well you are performing to that goal, and determine ways to change the game if you’re falling behind your targets.

Look at the low hanging fruit

Are there incidents happening over and over again  or is your facility not in compliance with an OSHA standard?  Are you so perfect, you can’t stand yourselves?  Think of the future with an aging workforce – is it time to implement ergonomic programs to prevent injuries?  What about implementing a behavioral based safety program?

My best advice: include employees in the goal setting process

Hopefully, you have some ideas brewing in your head.   Setting a safety goal that is not achievable can be a huge drag for the rest of year and can also bring the overall effectiveness of your safety program down.   Employees can give great feedback, and involvement and can also motivate participation in strategies to achieve the safety goals.