One suggestion for benchmarking is to compare your safety results to the injury and illness rates compiled on the Bureau of Labor Statistics site each year.
* First, use your OSHA log to determine your rate of recordable cases.
The Total Recordable Case Rate = # of recordable cases/total hours worked * 200,000
Multiplying by 200,000 standardizes the rate to allow comparison between different sized organizations in a particular indusrty, or even different groups within your organization.
* Then sign on to the BLS website at www.bls.gov
* From the Subject Areas tab, select Workplace Injuries. (There is a lot of good info. on that page - explore it).
* Select Current Injury, Illness & Fatal Injury Data. 2009 is the most current data available.
Try this link for the 2009 summary table: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/ostb2435.txt
* Use your NAICS code to compare your total case rate to the industry average. (Your company's NAICS - North American industrial classification code - is on the OSHA log). NAICS construction codes begin with 23. You can also drill down to get more specific. For example, if you want to look at roofing contractors, the NAICS code is 23816.
Lower rates mean fewer OSHA recordable injury & illness cases. Benchmark your results. Track your own trend over time. And remember, the true target is NO injuries at all. Numbers are useful, but keep in mind that they represent real people.