Investment evaluation in occupational risks prevention

Abstract

The present article elapses of a search for prevention indexes, i.e. positive indexes, to apply in the companies and that represent indicators of evaluation of the safety culture and of the prevention efforts. Its application is supplementary in relation to the acquaintances indexes of accidents. With this goal were identified common factors and it was developed a questionnaire that was applied in several organizations. Taking as example the investment as variable, it was verified, surprising in some way, that in many companies in spite of the increase of the global investment in safety and health, those efforts didn't have any return in the decrease of the number of accidents. In many of them, there is, on the contrary, an increase of the number of accidents. It was verified, however, that the most productive investment is what is made in internal or external OSH services. I&D efforts are now necessary to define criterions for recruitment of internal or external OSH services.