BST Releases White Paper on Safety Analytics

10/2/2012 7:15 AM EST

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Organizations today have volumes of information to tap into. For decision makers, it can be difficult to cut through the jargon to find out what’s most effective.

Michael Mangan, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development

Ojai, CA – BST announced today the release of its latest white paper Three Truths and a Lie about Safety Analytics by BST director of research and development Mike Mangan. The paper offers guidelines for applying today’s data analysis technology to organizational safety improvement.

Analytics have gained renewed traction in the safety field both as improvements in injury rates have plateaued and the sophistication of data technology has exploded. “Organizations today have volumes of information to tap into,” said Mangan. “For decision makers, it can be difficult to cut through the jargon to find out what’s most effective for supporting their safety objectives.”

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, work-related accidents injure more than four million workers, and cause more than 5,000 worker fatalities, every year. Workplace injuries are estimated to cost U.S. businesses in excess of $120 billion dollars annually.

Studies of industrial accidents show that the causes of an adverse event are complex, commonly involving organizational processes, procedures, decision-making, and culture. The application of analytics has been credited with helping leaders reframe these complex situations and identify factors that are hard to see up close. BST experts say that the role of data analysis in safety will only continue to grow, but offer the caveat that effective data use is not an end in itself. “Variables have no value unless they create action,” Mangan said.

The white paper Three Truths and a Lie about Safety Analytics is available at http://bstsolutions.com/en/wpanalytics.