Tracking lost time accidents is not an effective metric for assessing process safety effectiveness because it primarily reflects workplace injuries and their associated costs rather than the broader aspects of process safety management. Process safety is focused on preventing incidents that can lead to catastrophic releases of hazardous materials, which may not always result in lost time accidents.
Focusing exclusively on lost time accidents can lead to a narrow perspective, where organizations may overlook the significance of other metrics, such as near misses, process safety incidents, or the maintenance of safety systems. These other indicators provide more insight into the overall safety culture and the potential for serious incidents in high-hazard processes.
In contrast, a comprehensive process safety management approach should include a range of indicators that monitor performance and establish a proactive safety culture, rather than just focusing on injuries that lead to lost time. Thus, evaluating process safety effectiveness through the lens of lost time accidents fails to capture the full scope of potential hazards and safety improvements necessary to achieve an effective process safety management system.