Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

performance targets
are an import-
ant part of the statement of intent because:
➤
they indicate that there is management commitment 
to improve health and safety performance
➤
they motivate the workforce with tangible goals 
resulting, perhaps, in individual or collective rewards
➤
they offer evidence during the monitoring, review 
and audit phases of the management system.
The type of target chosen depends very much on the 
areas which need the greatest improvement in the 
Figure 2.2
Part of a policy commitment.

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Policy
25
organization. The following list, which is not exhaustive, 
shows common health and safety performance targets:
➤
a 
specifi c reduction in the number of accidents, inci-
dents and cases of work-related ill-health (perhaps 
to zero)
➤
a reduction in the level of sickness absence
➤
a specifi c increase in the number of employees 
trained in health and safety
➤
an increase in the reporting of minor accidents and 
‘near miss’ incidents
➤
a reduction in the number of civil claims
➤
no enforcement notices from the HSE or Local 
Authority
➤
a 
specifi c improvement in health and safety audit 
scores
➤
the achievement of a nationally recognised health 
and safety management standard, such as OHSAS 
18001.
The policy statement of intent should be posted on 
prominent notice boards throughout the workplace and 
brought to the attention of all employees at induction 
and refresher training sessions. It can also be commu-
nicated to the workforce during team briefi ng sessions, 
at ‘toolbox’ talks which are conducted at the workplace 
or directly by email, intranet, newsletters or booklets. It 
should be a permanent item on the agenda for health and 
safety committee meetings where it should be reviewed 
at each meeting.