Reactive Monitoring of Safety performance: An introduction

Reactive monitoring is a system of monitoring ,that measures the failure of the standards of performance of H&S after the accident.

Reactive methods monitor evidence of poor H&S practice but can also identify better practices that may be transferred (Lesson Learning) to other parts of a business.

Reactive monitoring measures include (Ways / Means / Methods / Examples of Reactive monitoring):

Accident Reporting
investigating accidents and incidents
monitoring cases of ill health and sickness absence records.
Review of Ill Health and sickness records
Collecting , analysing the trends & pattern of accident.

Reactive Monitoring (What it does?)

(Importance of Reactive Monitoring)

(Accident>Report>Investigation> Collect the data>Analyse that data>Output> trend & pattern>conclusion> Recommendation > Avoid Reoccurrences of accident.)

Reactive monitoring-Action can be taken only after an accident has happen.

Reactive Monitoring deals with things that went wrong.
Reactive monitoring is the analytical views of all performance indicators.
Reactive monitoring highlights the areas of concern.
Reactive monitoring measures failure.
Reactive monitoring collect the data over a period of accidents, incidents, ill health, other unwanted events and situations.
It discovers the trends and patterns of the organisation.

The reactive monitoring system should answer the following questions

Refer: www.hse.gov.uk

· Are failures occurring (injuries/ill health/loss/incidents)?

· Where are they occurring?

· What is the nature of the failures?

· How serious are they? ( e.g. minor injury / major injury)

· What were the potential consequences? ( e.g. Fatality)

· What are the reasons for the failures? ( e.g. Unsafe Act/ Unsafe Condition)

· What are the costs? ( e.g. major impact on the business)

· What improvements in the H&SMS are required?

· How do all the above points vary with time?

· Are we getting better/worse?

Refer: www.hse.gov.uk

Collecting and analysing the data-Reactive Monitoring

As per ILO –OSH 2001- 3.11.7. Reactive monitoring should include the identification, reporting , recording and investigation of:

Incidents rate (accident rate),
dangerous occurrences,
near-misses ,
work-related injuries
Absenteeism/ Absence-Rate,
Ill health (sickness absence rates) ,
staff turnover rate (e.g. Attrition rate),
level of compliance with health & safety, rules & procedures, (not complied/ breach)
Enforcement Action,
complaints about working conditions,
Medical Cost,
Civil compensation claim.
Damage to property
Deficient H&S performance
OSH management system failures
Worker’s rehabilitation and health-restoration programmes

Difference b/w Reactive and Active Monitoring

Reactive monitoring (taking action after a problem occurs)

Review of accidents and ill-health reports – often to check that remedial advice has been actioned or ascertain trends and hot spots.
Review of procedures following dangerous occurrences, other property damage and near misses.
Review of compensation claims
Review of complaints from the workforce and members of the public.
Review of procedures following enforcement report and notices.
Review of risk assessments following the discovery of additional hazards.

Active monitoring (taking action before problems occur) involves

The active monitoring of the workplace for unsafe conditions.
The direct observation of workers for unsafe acts .
Meeting with management and workers to discover any problems.
Checking documents, such as maintenance records, near miss reports, insurance reports .
Undertaking workplace inspections, sampling, surveys, tours and audits.