HC&A promotes a Zero Accident Safety Culture, based on the belief that all incidents are preventable. Tolerating any accidents sets the wrong standard - true safety requires a proactive, prevention-focused mindset at every level.

Why common safety metrics are not the best indicators to measure safety?
Tracking industry-standard safety metrics is critical for evaluating and improving workplace safety performance. For many years now, two of the most commonly used indicators include:

• Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR): Reflects the number of OSHA-recordable incidents per 100 full-time employees. Recordable incidents typically involve medical treatment beyond first aid.
• Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) Rate: Measures the number of recordable cases per 100 full-time employees that result in lost workdays, restricted duty, or job transfers—typically indicating more severe incidents.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes annual industry averages for these metrics, serving as benchmarks for companies to assess their own performance. In the construction industry, many general contractors require these safety statistics during prequalification. Companies exceeding industry averages may face disqualification or reduced opportunities for contract awards.

Here are the rates for a few industries HC&A commonly works in:

Many companies strive to stay below these industry average incident rates, and doing so is often viewed as a "successful" year. But is that truly success?

Consider this example. In this scenario we will use a fictitious company, ABC Siding Company, to demonstrate why these industry average rates are not the best indicator of success:

ABC Siding Company has 100 field workers. At the annual safety meeting, leadership announces that the industry average DART rate is 5.0—and sets a goal that no more than four employees should be seriously injured and miss work this year. The message? If only four workers suffer severe injuries, the company will celebrate.

Framed this way, it becomes clear how flawed that mindset is. Accepting injury benchmarks as the standard sets a culture of minimal compliance—not true safety. Real success means striving for zero harm, not just better-than-average results. Safety should never be measured by how many injuries we tolerate—but by how many we prevent.

Striving for Zero Accidents: Beyond Industry Benchmarks

While it’s important to recognize that certain industries carry inherent risks, benchmarking against industry averages should not define success. These metrics are valuable for tracking performance, but they must not become the standard we accept. The goal should never be to simply stay below average—it should be to prevent all workplace injuries.

The Zero Accident Strategy is built on the belief that every incident—no matter how minor—is preventable. While achieving zero may be difficult, the commitment to that goal drives a culture of continuous improvement and proactive risk management.

Key Elements of a Zero Accident Culture

• Leadership Commitment: Executives and management must visibly champion safety, dedicate resources, and set high expectations across the organization.
• Employee Engagement: Empower employees to actively participate in hazard identification, safety training, and improvement efforts. Encourage open reporting of near-misses and concerns without fear of reprisal.
• Proactive Workplace Assessments: Perform routine safety inspections to identify and eliminate hazards. Share results and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Ongoing, Effective Training: Provide regular, engaging, and job-specific training. Continually assess training effectiveness and employee comprehension.
• Performance-Based Metrics: Go beyond lagging indicators. Track leading metrics like near-miss reports, training compliance, inspection frequency, and timely hazard resolution to drive continuous improvement.

True safety success comes not from avoiding high numbers, but from actively working to ensure that no one gets hurt—ever.

Is a Zero-Injury Culture Achievable?

A zero-injury culture represents a shift in mindset—one that prioritizes prevention over reaction. While achieving zero injuries may not always be realistic, striving toward this goal drives meaningful improvements in safety performance and risk reduction. The objective isn’t perfection, but creating a workplace where safety is deeply embedded, and every employee is empowered to take ownership. Through high standards, strong leadership, and continuous improvement, organizations can move closer to this ideal—protecting workers and fostering a culture of care, accountability, and vigilance.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi