Discover the 8 essential safety metrics you need to track every month. These safety metrics can make the most significant impact on your incident rates.
If you’re a contractor running jobs with a lean team, you don’t need more “safety reporting.” You need a simple way to know if your safety system is actually working before something goes wrong.
Because most problems don’t show up as an injury first. They show up as drift:
inspections getting skipped
corrective actions not closed
training proof scattered
the same hazards showing up job after job
Tracking a few monthly safety metrics helps you catch that drift early.
If you want a fast, contractor-friendly way to see which metrics you should track (based on how your company actually operates), book a Free Safety Assessment. We’ll pinpoint the 1–2 gaps most likely to cause citations, audit findings, or prequal headaches—and show you what to measure so you can keep it under control.
Most companies only track lagging indicators like injuries. The problem is lagging indicators show you what already happened.
Monthly safety metrics should give you leading signals:
are we doing the basics consistently?
are hazards being fixed?
are foremen enforcing the standard?
can we prove it if someone asks?
Good metrics make safety easier to manage, not harder.
A useful metric is:
simple enough to track every month
tied to real risk (not vanity numbers)
actionable (you can improve it next month)
consistent across jobs and crews
If a metric takes more than 30 minutes to compile, it won’t last.
You don’t need a dashboard with 30 numbers. You need a short list that tells you two things:
Are we doing the basics consistently across every crew and job?
Are we closing the loop on hazards before they turn into incidents, citations, or audit findings?
The metrics below are the ones we see make the biggest difference for lean contractors because they’re practical to track, they show early warning signs, and they’re easy to act on month to
What it tells you: TRIR is a common lagging indicator used to measure recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers.
Why contractors track it:
many clients and prequal packages ask for it
it’s a benchmark used in bids and insurance conversations
What to remember: TRIR is important, but it doesn’t tell you what to fix next. Use it as a scoreboard, not a steering wheel.
Related: How is TRIR Calculated? (plus Free TRIR Calculator)
If you want to strengthen your leading indicators so TRIR improves naturally, book the free Safety Assessment.
What it tells you: Near misses are early warnings. If none are reported, it doesn’t mean you have none, it usually means you’re not hearing about them.
What to track monthly:
number of near misses reported
whether they include enough detail to act on
whether corrective actions were created and closed
Quick contractor tip: Make reporting easy. If it’s a 2-page form, it won’t happen.
Related: How to Complete a BBO, Hazard ID or Near Miss
What it tells you: Inspections are one of the best leading indicators because they show whether supervisors are actively looking for issues.
What to track monthly:
inspections scheduled vs. completed
defects found
defects closed
Quick contractor tip: Short inspections done consistently beat long inspections nobody completes.
Related: How to Develop Equipment Inspections in 5 Easy Steps
What it tells you: This is one of the most important monthly metrics. It shows whether hazards actually get fixed or just documented.
What to track monthly:
corrective actions opened
corrective actions closed
overdue items (and how overdue)
Quick contractor tip: If you only track one thing, track closure. Open actions = future incidents.
If you’re seeing a pile-up of overdue actions, a free Safety Assessment can help you set up a simple closeout loop that doesn’t rely on one hero.
What it tells you: Toolbox talks are a leading indicator of supervisor involvement and communication on site.
What to track monthly:
talks planned vs. delivered
sign-ins completed
proof stored where you can actually find it
Quick contractor tip: The biggest failure isn’t missing talks, it’s proof living in a binder nobody can locate when the GC asks.
Related: 5 Essential Construction Safety Toolbox Talk Topics
What it tells you: Training metrics show whether your workforce is current on the things that get people hurt and get cited most often.
What to track monthly: Pick the handful of trainings that matter most for your work:
fall protection / working at heights
forklift / equipment operation
respiratory protection (if applicable)
lockout/tagout (if applicable)
hazard communication
first aid and incident reporting basics
Track:
who is current
who is due
whether proof is stored centrally
Related: 6 Elements of a Strong Fall Protection Plan
What it tells you: Observations help you see what’s drifting in the field before it turns into an incident.
What to track monthly:
number of observations completed
top repeated safe behaviours (what’s working)
top repeated at-risk behaviours (what needs coaching)
actions created vs. closed
Related: What are Behavior Based Safety Observations (BBO/ BBS)?
If your observations feel like “paperwork nobody believes in,” book a free Safety Assessment and we’ll show you how to make them practical and trusted.
What it tells you: This is where you tailor metrics to what actually creates risk in your work.
Pick your top 3 high-risk areas and track one simple compliance check for each.
Common examples for contractors:
Fall protection: % of crews tied off correctly when required
Ladders: % of extension ladders set correctly (3-foot rule, angle, condition)
Equipment: % of daily pre-use checks completed
HazCom: SDS available + containers labeled
Housekeeping: access/egress and trip hazards controlled
Why this matters: These quick checks directly reduce the stuff that becomes citations and injuries.
Related: Top OSHA Violations 2025, 6 Elements of a Strong Fall Protection Plan, and OSHA Requirements for Ladders & Stairways
You don’t need a safety committee meeting that takes half a day.
A simple monthly review can be:
10 minutes: inspections completed, defects, closeouts
10 minutes: training due list
5 minutes: near misses and top repeat hazards
5 minutes: pick one improvement to focus on next month
The goal is consistency, not perfection.
If you’re trying to win bigger jobs, reduce audit stress, or stop relying on last-minute scrambles, tracking the right metrics is one of the simplest ways to get control.
Book a Free Safety Assessment and we’ll:
pinpoint the 1–2 gaps most likely to cause issues
recommend the best monthly metrics for your business
show you how to track them without adding admin
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