An effective workplace health and safety (WHS) management system should not only identify hazards and respond to incidents but also measure whether workplace health and safety objectives are being achieved. Performance measurement enables organisations to evaluate the effectiveness of existing systems, monitor progress over time and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

For Occupational Therapists (OTs) working with assistance animals, measuring workplace health and safety performance extends beyond monitoring injury rates. It includes evaluating client safety, occupational participation, assistance animal welfare, workplace accessibility, organisational compliance and the effectiveness of implemented risk control measures.

Performance measurement should be systematic, evidence-informed and integrated into routine organisational governance.

Why Measure Workplace Health and Safety Performance?

Performance measurement enables organisations to determine whether workplace health and safety systems are functioning effectively.

Regular evaluation helps organisations to:

• monitor workplace safety outcomes
• evaluate the effectiveness of risk controls
• identify emerging trends
• demonstrate legislative compliance
• support continuous improvement
• guide resource allocation
• improve organisational decision-making
• strengthen workplace safety culture.

Without performance measurement, organisations may be unaware of declining safety standards or ineffective workplace systems.

Leading and Lagging Indicators

Workplace health and safety performance is commonly measured using both leading indicators and lagging indicators.

Leading Indicators

Leading indicators measure activities that help prevent incidents before they occur.

Examples include:

• completion of workplace inspections
• percentage of staff completing mandatory training
• completion of risk assessments
• hazard reporting rates
• consultation activities
• emergency drills
• preventative equipment maintenance
• assistance animal welfare assessments.

Leading indicators provide early information regarding the effectiveness of workplace health and safety systems.

Lagging Indicators

Lagging indicators measure events that have already occurred.

Examples include:

• workplace injuries
• workers’ compensation claims
• incident reports
• near misses
• lost time injuries
• equipment failures
• client injuries
• assistance animal injuries
• regulatory notices.

Although valuable, lagging indicators measure outcomes after harm has occurred and should be interpreted alongside leading indicators.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Many organisations establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate workplace health and safety performance.

Examples may include:

• percentage of scheduled inspections completed
• completion rates for mandatory training
• reduction in workplace incidents
• timely completion of risk assessments
• corrective actions completed within designated timeframes
• staff participation in workplace health and safety activities
• client satisfaction with workplace safety
• assistance animal welfare outcomes.

KPIs should be realistic, measurable and aligned with organisational objectives.

Measuring Client Safety Outcomes

For Occupational Therapists, workplace health and safety should ultimately support safe occupational participation.

Measures of client safety may include:

• falls rates
• injury reports
• participation in community activities
• successful workplace integration
• safe use of assistance animals
• confidence managing occupational tasks
• achievement of occupational goals.

Evaluation should consider both safety and participation, recognising that risk management should facilitate rather than unnecessarily restrict engagement in meaningful occupations.

Measuring Assistance Animal Welfare

The wellbeing of the assistance animal is an important indicator of safe and sustainable practice.

Indicators of animal welfare may include:

• physical health assessments
• body condition
• behavioural observations
• stress indicators
• veterinary reports
• workload monitoring
• retirement planning
• successful completion of welfare reviews.

Maintaining high welfare standards contributes to both ethical practice and the long-term effectiveness of assistance animal partnerships.

Using Workplace Data

Performance measurement relies upon accurate and reliable information.

Relevant data sources may include:

• incident reports
• hazard reports
• workplace inspection findings
• audit outcomes
• staff surveys
• client feedback
• complaint records
• training records
• equipment maintenance records
• assistance animal welfare assessments.

Multiple data sources should be considered together to develop a comprehensive understanding of workplace performance.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking involves comparing workplace health and safety performance against recognised standards or comparable organisations.

Benchmarking may involve comparison with:

• previous organisational performance
• industry standards
• accreditation requirements
• legislative expectations
• professional guidelines
• published evidence.

Benchmarking assists organisations in identifying strengths, recognising areas for improvement and establishing realistic performance targets.

Analysing Performance Data

Collecting data alone does not improve workplace health and safety.

Data should be analysed to identify:

• recurring hazards
• increasing or decreasing incident rates
• effectiveness of interventions
• emerging risks
• opportunities for improvement
• resource priorities.

Analysis should consider both quantitative information, such as incident numbers, and qualitative information, including stakeholder experiences and feedback.

Reporting Performance Outcomes

Workplace health and safety findings should be communicated to relevant stakeholders in a manner that is accurate, timely and appropriate.

Reporting may occur through:

• workplace health and safety meetings
• management reports
• quality improvement committees
• annual reports
• staff newsletters
• education sessions
• organisational dashboards.

Sharing performance information promotes transparency, accountability and organisational learning.

Using Performance Data to Drive Improvement

Performance measurement should inform decision-making rather than simply recording information.

Findings may be used to:

• revise workplace procedures
• update risk assessments
• develop education programs
• improve environmental design
• allocate resources
• strengthen assistance animal welfare initiatives
• inform strategic planning
• monitor the effectiveness of implemented changes.

The goal of performance measurement is to create safer workplaces through evidence-informed improvement.

Challenges in Measuring Workplace Health and Safety

Although performance measurement is valuable, it has several limitations.

Challenges may include:

• under-reporting of incidents
• inconsistent documentation
• small sample sizes
• limited organisational resources
• difficulties measuring psychosocial hazards
• balancing quantitative and qualitative outcomes
• interpreting complex data.

Occupational Therapists should recognise these limitations when evaluating workplace performance and use multiple sources of evidence wherever possible.

Key Practice Principle

Measuring workplace health and safety performance enables Occupational Therapists and organisations to evaluate the effectiveness of workplace systems, monitor client and assistance animal outcomes and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. By combining leading and lagging indicators with meaningful performance measures, practitioners can support evidence-informed decision-making, strengthen workplace safety culture and promote safe, ethical and sustainable assistance animal practice.