Safety Metrics for the Modern Safety Professional

3 The Body Count Dilemma

Using the employee injury rate as your sole measure of the success of your safety efforts is like trying to measure the volume of a silo by just calculating the height.

C. Gary Lopez

Although I do not consider myself a great philosopher, I will stand by the aforementioned quote. While considering metrics and measurements for the safety profession, perhaps no greater problem exists than what I have come to call “The Body Count Dilemma.”

Admittedly, I receive many negative comments about what is construed as my cavalier treatment of employee injuries and illnesses by using this term. However, I use it not to take such injuries and illnesses lightly. Quite the contrary, I understand preventing employee injuries and illnesses ...