Guidance on developing safety performance indicators related to chemical accident prevention, preparedness and response - for industry

This Guidance on Developing Safety Performance Indicators was prepared to assist enterprises that wish to implement and/or review Safety Performance Indicator Programmes. Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) provide important tools for any enterprise that handles significant quantities of hazardous substances (whether using, producing, storing, transporting, disposing of, or otherwise handling chemicals) including enterprises that use chemicals in manufacturing other products. Specifically, SPIs help enterprises understand whether risks of chemical accidents are being appropriately managed. The goal of SPI Programmes is to help enterprises find and fix potential problems before an accident occurs. 

The three chapters in this Guidance are designed to help enterprises better understand safety performance indicators, and how to implement SPI Programmes. Specifically:

• Chapter 1 provides important background information on the Guidance and on SPIs more generally including (i) a description of the target audience for this Guidance, (ii) defi nitions of SPIs and related terms, and (iii) insights on the reasons for implementing an SPI Programme.
• Chapter 2 sets out a seven-step process for implementing an SPI Programme, along with three examples of how different types of enterprises might approach the establishment of such a Programme. These seven steps build on the experience of a number of enterprises in the UK that worked with the Health and Safety Executive to develop a practical approach for applying performance indicators.
• Chapter 3 provides additional support for the development of an SPI Programme by setting out a menu of possible elements (targets, outcome indicators and activities indicators). This menu is extensive in light of the different types of potentially interested enterprises, recognising that each enterprise will likely choose only a limited number of the elements to monitor its key areas of concern. Furthermore, it is understood that an enterprise may decide to implement an SPI Programme in steps, focusing fi rst on only a few priority areas, and then expanding and amending its Programme as experience is gained.