Introduction

Workplace safety is more than just a checklist — it’s an ongoing commitment to protecting today’s modern workforce. That’s why we’re in the process of compiling a comprehensive data report that leverages data from the National Safety Council (NSC), industry insights, and our proprietary information to explore a critical fact: While compliance is foundational for reducing workplace risks, it’s only the starting point on the journey to long-term safety improvement.

The report will focus on two key theses:

1. Prequalification and Compliance are Foundational for Operational Risk Management and Initial Safety Outcomes.
2. Though Foundational, Prequalification and Compliance Alone Aren’t Sufficient for Continual Improvement of Safety Outcomes and Risk Monitoring and Assessment.

Decades of progress in workplace safety underscore the value of compliance and prequalification. Yet, as we’ll explore, the most impactful safety programs go beyond meeting minimum standards — they embrace a culture of continual improvement. Here’s a preview of what we’ve learned so far.

The Foundation of Prequalification and Compliance

The evolution of workplace safety tells a compelling story of progress. Early in the 20th century, workplace injuries and fatalities were devastatingly common. Incidents like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire brought national attention to the dire need for safety standards. This, combined with many other factors outlined in our previous blog, led to the establishment of landmark regulations like the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act in 1970, which set minimum compliance requirements for workplace safety.

Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and other government bodies reveal the profound impact of compliance measures. In the years following the OSH Act, the total recordable incident rate (TRIR) — a key metric for workplace safety — declined sharply. Organizations adopted safety protocols, hazard assessments, and training programs, creating a safer baseline for employees and contractors.

Framing the Path Forward: Moving Toward Safety Maturity

To achieve sustained safety improvements and to break past the safety plateau, organizations need to embrace a systems-based approach, like the concept of safety maturity. A safety maturity model provides a structured framework for evaluating current practices, identifying gaps, and implementing continuous improvement strategies. This approach aligns with broader trends in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, where stakeholders increasingly demand transparency and accountability.

Safety maturity models emphasize several key elements:

• Embrace Transformational Opportunity: Organizations must view safety through a performance framework rather than only a compliance framework.
• Systems Thinking: Safety management systems leverage known, operational elements for an interconnected approach to understanding the scope and nature of risk in their workforce and promote reliability in essential resources and safeguards for organizational success.
• Workforce and Operational Alignment: Addressing the needs within today’s complex workforce means addressing the socio-technical needs that match current capability with opportunity to develop and improve within the work system.

The concept of safety maturity isn’t just theoretical; it’s actionable. By assessing their current state and identifying opportunities for growth, organizations can move from reactive to a transformative safety capability. Our report will analyze data from Avetta’s customer base to illustrate how safety maturity impacts key performance indicators (KPIs) like TRIR, serious incident rates, and more.  

As Avetta helped organizations manage risk for the past two decades, safety maturity has been at the forefront of our minds, leading to the creation of the Safety Maturity Index. In partner with the National Safety Council, this global framework was designed to assess the maturity of an organization’s safety management systems (SMS).

Why This Matters: The Case for Continual Improvement

The need for continual improvement in workplace safety extends beyond regulatory compliance. It’s about creating resilient organizations that can adapt to changing risks and maintain high standards in dynamic environments. Here’s why this matters:

1. The Limits of Compliance: While compliance sets a baseline, it doesn’t address the unique challenges of individual workplaces or supply chains. Moving beyond compliance enables organizations to tailor safety practices to their specific needs.
2. Enhanced Decision-Making: By leveraging maturity models and advanced metrics, organizations can make data-driven decisions that prioritize resources and address high-risk areas.
3. Better Outcomes: Companies that adopt proactive safety measures consistently see lower rates of serious incidents and fatalities. These improvements not only protect workers but also enhance operational efficiency and reputation.

Our report will include data-driven insights to show why organizations need to continually work to achieve these outcomes. For example, our preliminary findings show that suppliers that undergo additional audits or implement risk-based processes outperform their peers in key safety metrics. These findings underscore the importance of going beyond prequalification to drive continual improvement.

Conclusion: A Journey Toward Safer Workplaces

The data outlined in our report is clear: Prequalification and compliance are essential building blocks for workplace safety, but they’re not enough to achieve long-term success. To create safer, more resilient organizations, we must embrace a culture of continual improvement — one that prioritizes proactive risk management, cultural alignment, and systems thinking.

As we finalize our report, we’re excited to share actionable strategies for moving beyond compliance and advancing safety maturity. These insights will empower organizations to make smarter decisions, protect their workers, and contribute to a safer future for all. We’ll also explore the power of SMI and how it can be used to protect your supply chain.

Reserve your copy now! Sign up below to reserve a copy of this free report now and we’ll send it to your inbox when it’s published in 2025. Together, we can create workplaces that go beyond compliance and set new standards for safety excellence.