Benchmark Results: 2020 vs 2021


Benchmark Results

Are you making data led decisions?

Industry Benchmark Trends

The Health and Safety Index is a simple online survey enabling organisations to measure, focus and act on improvements that matter. Throughout 2021, we worked across seven industries, multiple organisations and thousands of respondents to collate statistically reliable and valid benchmark results. We are exciting to be able to shared learning, industry trends and to enable health and safety improvements.

The overall Heath and Safety Index results in 2021 was 74% or “capable”. The overall shift from 2020 was just 1%. Despite this small shift, we have identified significant changes in other areas. Potential drivers for these changes are potentially from COVID-19 related impacts and are summarised within Health and Safety Index Benchmark Report 2020 vs 2021, e.g.

  • “I feel comfortable talking about mental health” 5% improvement
  • “My supervisor focuses on finding solutions, not on blame”. 5.7% improvement
  • “Supervisor care & concern” 4% improvement.

Positive (+) Industry Trends:

The following could be a result of organisations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • “I feel comfortable talking about mental health” 5% improvement
  • “My supervisor focuses on finding solutions, not on blame”. 5.7% improvement
  • “Supervisor care & concern” 4% improvement.

Negative (-) Industry Trends:

The following trends could be related to supply chain challenges, and skill shortages and a shift to remote working:

  • “Pressure to compromise safety” 4.4% poorer result**
  • “Realistic time pressures” 3.5% poorer results
  • “Contractors have an effective workplace health and safety induction prior to them commencing work.” 2.6% poorer result
  • “I have ready access to systems if I need to report a safety concern” 2.3% poorer result.

**23% worse results for contractors vs employees.

Mental Health & Wellbeing:

The following questions had the poorest results impacting Health & Wellbeing performance:

  • “Realistic time pressures” 52% down from 2020
  • “Bullying & Harassment” 63% improved from 2021.

Dimensions

The Health and Safety Index results also outline performance based on seven dimensions that represent typical workplace behavours practices and conditions. To understand more about these results, trends and how to interpret for your organisation, download our complete Health and Safety Index Benchmark Report 2021.

Benchmark Results by Dimensions

Benchmark Results 2021

Human and Organisational Factors

The quality of reliable benchmarks provided statistical correlations, relationships with data and conclusions to assist in better understanding human and organisational contributing factors. Rather than reacting with an incident investigation to identify contributing factors, we analyse the Health and Safety Index data to help organisations proactively identify contributing factors related to specific impacts such as safety, sleep, mental health, burn out and employee engagement.  

Examples where the Health and Safety Index can proactively identify contributing factors include:

  • Shift Work impacts on sleep performance
  • Positive praise and recognition impacts on health & wellbeing performance
  • Change management impacts on sleep performance
  • Empowering the workforce to feel comfortable talking about mental health and the impacts on health & wellbeing performance
  • Time pressure impacts on contractor safety performance.

“The Health and Safety Index provides a connection to measure effectiveness and ways to improve key cultural aspects such as managing change and how that affects worker performance”

Dan Pippard

COO Pioneer Safety Solution, Canada

So, what can you do?

The Health and Safety Index has research-informed questions and meaningful reports based on statistically reliable “Levers” and “Outcomes”. The Levers for action are statistically correlated to provide guidance on improvement actions plans to inform strategic choices, targeted use of resources and a positive Return on Investment (ROI).

Of our 11 Levers, the 2021 Benchmark results indicate the following 4 Levers should be a focus:

  • Values & Beliefs: Empower your workforce believe in what is important and right that helps to encourage desired actions and behavours. This also discourages undesired behavour such as bullying and pressure to compromise safety
  • Change Management: Create operational readiness, capacity, and capability when things are modified or altered to reduce the uncertainty of risk, e.g., adapt systems and capability with a remote workforce, remote contractor mobilisation and work from home arrangements.
    Also provide effective consultation, communication, a link between job and company goals, and action resolution in a timely manner.
  • Accountability: Ensure there is a culture of self-regulation to continually improve, e.g., organisational accountability and empowering colleagues to hold each other accountable
  • Equipment & Conditions: Providing easy access and user-friendly plant and equipment. In addition, creating a psychologically safe environment where workers can speak up without fear or judgment.

If you feel your organisation needs help understanding their unique focus areas and Levers for action ­­– then get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.

M: +61 417 570 143

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