What is Safety Benchmarking? ~ safety world

1. Definition

Safety Benchmarking is the process of comparing an organization’s safety performance, systems, and culture with:

It helps identify gaps, set targets, and drive continuous improvement in HSE systems.

Objective	Description
Performance Improvement	Identify where the organization stands versus best practices.
Compliance Verification	Ensure compliance with standards like OSHA, NEPRA, ISO 45001.
Goal Setting	Define measurable safety targets.
Learning from Others	Adopt proven systems or tools from high-performing companies.
Cultural Development	Promote a proactive, learning-oriented safety culture.

Type	Description	Example
Internal Benchmarking	Compare departments, sites, or divisions within the same company.	Compare incident rates between two plants.
External Benchmarking	Compare your performance with other companies or industry averages.	Compare your TRIR with NEPRA or OSHA data.
Functional Benchmarking	Compare specific safety functions (training, PPE use, audits).	Compare permit-to-work systems across companies.
Generic Benchmarking	Compare overall culture and management practices.	Compare leadership safety engagement across sectors.

Leading organizations use both lagging and leading indicators.

Indicator	Formula / Unit	Benchmark Example
Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)	(Recordable incidents × 200,000) ÷ total hours worked	< 0.5
Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)	(LTI × 1,000,000) ÷ total hours worked	< 0.2
Fatal Accident Rate (FAR)	(Fatalities × 100,000,000) ÷ total hours worked	Zero target
Severity Rate	(Lost days × 200,000) ÷ total hours worked	< 10
First Aid Case Rate	(FAC × 200,000) ÷ total hours worked	< 1.0

Indicator	Measurement	Benchmark Example
Safety observations	No. per month per 100 employees	> 5
Toolbox talks	Frequency	Daily before shift
Near-miss reporting rate	No. of near-misses per incident	≥ 10:1
Safety training completion	% of workforce trained	100%
Audit & inspection compliance	% completed on time	≥ 95%
Corrective action closure	% closed within time	≥ 90%
Safety culture survey score	% positive response	> 80%

Standard	Description
ISO 45001:2018	International Occupational Health & Safety Management System standard.
ISO 45003:2021	Psychological health and psychosocial risk management.
NEPRA Power Safety Code 2025	Mandatory for Pakistan’s power sector; defines HSE benchmarks.
OSHA 1904 / 1910	US Occupational Safety standards and recordkeeping benchmarks.
DuPont Bradley Curve	Framework for measuring safety culture maturity.
IChemE Safety Centre Benchmarking Model	For process safety management.

Step	Activity	Output
1. Identify Metrics	Select what you’ll benchmark (e.g., TRIR, training, audits).	KPI list
2. Select Partners / Standards	Choose internal or external comparison targets.	Benchmark source
3. Collect Data	Gather HSE data consistently and accurately.	Database
4. Analyze Performance	Compare results vs. benchmarks.	Gap analysis
5. Identify Gaps & Root Causes	Find weak areas and improvement opportunities.	Action plan
6. Implement Improvements	Apply new methods, training, or controls.	Corrective actions
7. Monitor Progress	Reassess after implementation.	Continuous improvement

KPI	NEPRA Target	Company A	Company B	Benchmark
TRIR	< 0.5	0.42	0.70	✅ Meets target
LTIFR	< 0.2	0.18	0.25	✅ Acceptable
Near-Miss Ratio	≥ 10:1	8:1	12:1	🔸 Needs improvement
Training Compliance	100%	95%	100%	🔸 Improve coverage
Safety Audit Score	≥ 90%	88%	93%	✅ Meets standard