Avetta and NSC Partner to Launch New Safety Maturity Index
Index aims to reduce serious injuries and fatalities in the contractor supply chain.
- By David Kopf
- Sep 18, 2024
ORLANDO, Fla.– Avetta, provider of supply chain risk management software, has will partnered with the National Safety Council (NSC) to introduce the Safety Maturity Index (SMI), a tool designed to target health and safety weaknesses in contractor supply chains to help prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs).
Unveiled during the NSC’s Safety Congress and Expo 2024, the SMI aims to offer a comprehensive approach to assess a contractor’s safety management systems (SMS). It focuses on risk management and evaluates a contractor’s organizational maturity in implementing safety processes and standards.
To help provide contractors with leading indicators that can drive transformational change in safety, Avetta and NSC combined 15 years of NSC research, data from Avetta’s global contractor network, and input from companies such as Entergy and Cargill to develop the SMI.
“Our partnership represents joint dedication to innovation in the contractor safety space,” said Don Dama, executive vice president of sales and marketing at NSC. “The Council’s research, combined with Avetta’s experience and ability to scale, marks a significant step forward. We are empowering the industry with more effective systems to reduce serious injuries and fatalities.”
The SMI is grounded in widely recognized standards like ISO 45001 and ANSI Z-10 and uses a 0-100 grading scale across five key categories:
- Safety Leadership & Structure – Evaluation of leadership practices, incentives, and organizational structure.
- Hazard Identification & Controls – Assessment of the ability to identify and mitigate SIF hazards.
- Worker Training & Competency – Verification of training needs and competency based on role and work type.
- Incident Management & Response – Systems for investigating, learning from, and responding to incidents.
- Improvements & Communications – Processes for distributing safety improvements and knowledge.
These categories are designed using statistically relevant questions proven to be leading indicators of safety performance. The index provides organizations with actionable insights to manage risk, prevent accidents, and drive continuous improvement in safety practices.
“For decades, contractor prequalification has focused on past performance and policy audits,” said Taylor Allis, chief product officer of Avetta. “By partnering with NSC, we’re moving the conversation from compliance to continuous safety improvement, helping contractors focus on future safety outcomes.”
The SMI is slated for North American availability early 2025 and Avetta and NSC will also offer a membership package that includes tools and resources to support safety improvements for contractors.
About the Author
David Kopf is the publisher and executive editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.