ANALYSIS OF SAFETY INDICATORS IN CONSTRUCTION

This paper shows the results from a study by Hancher and de la Garza a nd sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), which surve yed workers' compensation practices in the construction industry. The writers focus the analysis on four indicators of contractors' safety p erformance, i.e., the Experience Modification Rate (EMR), the Recordab le Incident Rate (RIR), the Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR), and the Wo rkers' Compensation Claims Frequency Indicator (WCCFI). Written and/or phone surveys were conducted of 43 contractors [including both Constr uction Industry Institute (CTI) and non-CII members], nine owners, fou rteen insurance professionals, and over 1,600 construction workers, re presenting 36 states and 21 trades. The data presented in this paper r eveal: (1) different OSHA incident rates for contractors who keep trac k of accidents versus those contractors who do not; (2) different EMR and RIR for small versus large contractors; and (3) a different WCCFI for union versus open shop contractors. The conclusion reads ''what ge ts measured, gets improved.''