Big Data May Help Employers Boost Workplace Safety
Big data has already proven useful in predicting consumer behavior, improving crime prevention, and advancing science and research. Now, employers are leveraging big data to improve workplace safety.
This is no longer science fiction. Society increasingly relies on big data and analytics, which involves collecting and analyzing data from numerous sources to reveal patterns and trends—often related to human behavior.
Clues Toward Preventing Future Mishaps
Many workplaces are turning to big data to predict and prevent workplace injuries. By analyzing past injuries, illnesses, and deaths, employers can gain valuable insights to prevent future mishaps.
The Scope of the Problem:
According to the Bureau of Statistics, more than 3 million workers suffer an injury or illness on the job each year.
Employers hope insights from big data will reduce these numbers.
Factors Reviewed Through Big Data:
Big data allows employers to analyze various work-related factors, such as:
Trends in injuries: Are slip-and-fall accidents increasing?
Effectiveness of safety programs: Are current measures working?
Injury treatment success rates: What approaches yield the best outcomes?
Employee roles: How long has the injured worker been in their position?
Incident frequency and severity: Are certain injuries more common or severe?
Contributing factors: What led to the accidents?
Modifying Work Environments and Improving Training
Since many work-related injuries involve new employees, big data can help identify shared characteristics of these incidents. The results could lead to:
Modifications to work environments to reduce hazards.
Enhanced training programs tailored to high-risk roles.
Improved safety protections for employees.
OSHA’s Role in Promoting Big Data
In 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) took a significant step toward promoting big data by implementing a new rule to modernize data collection.
Key Points of OSHA’s Rule:
Thousands of employers in high-hazard industries are required to annually submit data on injuries and illnesses.
The data, already collected by employers, is now posted on OSHA’s website for public access.
Benefits of Shared Data Through OSHA:
Identifying workplaces with the lowest risk of injury.
Encouraging employers to improve safety programs.
Providing researchers with data to study the causes of workplace injuries.
Detecting new safety hazards before they become widespread.
Helping employers evaluate and enhance their injury and illness prevention programs.
Big Data is Here to Stay
Big data is revolutionizing how employers approach workplace safety. By analyzing trends and patterns, companies can refine their safety programs, better protect employees, and reduce the risk of injuries.
The future of workplace safety lies in leveraging big data, and employers have a powerful tool to create safer environments for everyone.
