‍Introduction:

In our previous blog, we discussed the five levels of safety maturity companies find themselves in. Since the 2010s, the most mature safety organizations have been focused on ensuring the effectiveness of safety systems through data, evidence, and cross-functional collaboration. The goal is not just compliance but driving meaningful assessment of risk at the worker level through leader-worker resourcing and engagement, targeting critical risk areas alongside needed safeguards.

In this post, we will introduce Avetta’s Safety Maturity Index (SMI), a framework for collecting and acting on the leading indicator data required to deliver those tangible results in the supply chain.

Created as a collaboration between Avetta and the National Safety Council (NSC), it allows companies to not only assess the safety maturity of their suppliers but provide tools for improving the maturity of their entire supply chain.

Designing the Safety Maturity Index

The Safety Maturity Index is a new contractor safety innovation designed by Avetta in partnership with six organizations and utilizing the Avetta network of qualified suppliers. Founding SMI partners include the NSC, Entergy, and Cargill.

The index leverages 15 years of National Safety Council research as well as data gathered from Avetta’s network of 130,000 global suppliers and 1.5 million contract workers. SMI client safety and risk professionals from Entergy and Cargill helped design and test the index based on their experience managing large and complex supply chains.

Beyond assessing contractor safety maturity, the SMI empowers organizations and their contractors to reduce serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) over time by deploying better systems and safeguards. A safety maturity index is only powerful if its assessment results help suppliers understand their current state and provide clear details on how to improve.

Safety Maturity Index (SMI) Overview

SMI Categories

An effective safety management system (SMS) is built on core elements — each evaluated within a contractor’s operations as part of the Safety Maturity Index. The index reviews the presence or absence of systems, processes, and methods across the following five categories:

1. Safety Leadership & Structure: The evaluation of leadership practices, incentives, and structures designed to prioritize resources and capacity to produce positive safety outcomes.
2. Hazard Identification & Controls: The ability for an organization and its workers to properly identify potential SIF hazards and deploy the proper controls and safeguards for these hazards.
3. Worker Training & Competency: The ability for an organization to identify worker roles, training needs, and verify competency based on role and work type.
4. Incident Management & Response: An organization’s systems, methods, and practices used to investigate, learn from, and respond to incidents.
5. Improvements & Communications: The communication tools and processes used to distribute new safety improvements and knowledge across managers and employees.

Statistically relevant questions across these categories form the foundation of Avetta’s SMI. These have been proven over time to be more predictive for an organization’s true capabilities to manage risk, prevent accidents, and continually improve safety. SMI assessments are designed to be predictive, proven, and understandable by contractors of varied sizes across the globe.

“I’m 24, and I’ve got big goals to grow this company. The SMI helped me see where I need to level up todo that safely.” - Safety Leader, Filtration Solutions company

SMI Validation Methods

To determine safety maturity, the index applies weighted scoring based on the level of assessment, verification, and supporting evidence available. Three types of evaluation methods are used, with more accurate and verified approaches carrying greater weight.

The three types used to evaluate evidence of a mature Safety Management System (SMS) are:

• Self-Attestation: Contractors and suppliers respond to assessments without verification. This is a good start and sets expectations on what a quality SMS is. However, as responses are not verified, a contractor or supplier’s answers can be inaccurate — either intentionally or due to question misinterpretation.
• Evidence of SMS Practice: Avetta Audits validate the accuracy of documented practices and policies, a critical next step in contractor/supplier education and qualification. The SMI takes verification further by evaluating evidence of SMS “practice.” Those that attest they follow SMS practices must provide evidence of their implemented SMS for successful Avetta verification.
• Digital SMS Quality & Usage: The active use of a digital safety management system is the most efficient, non-invasive, and accurate way to verify safety maturity on a global scale. The right SMS is equipped with risk assessment tools, job hazard assessments, worker management tools, and training verification in one central location to ensure compliance and safety are managed properly. If contractors/suppliers use the Avetta system to ensure safety leadership, hazard ID and control assurance, worker training and competency, and trusted and transparent communication, then SMS practice verification is automated at no additional burden to the contractor.

SMI Grading Scale

The Safety Maturity Index is based on a 0-100 scale, with 100 being the highest maturity score. The score is calculated across the above five safety maturity categories and weighted based on contractor findings, evidence, and verification methods. SMI scores help guide training, programs, and oversight strategies to improve contractor and supplier safety practices:

• A (76 to 100): Higher SMI scores show evidence of more mature safety practices, effective implementation, and a strong safety culture. They highlight continuous improvement efforts and can showcase contractors and suppliers as examples of strong safety management organizations.
• B (51 to 75): SMI scores in this range reflect proactive safety systems focused on accident prevention and employee engagement. While above average, sharing best practices and monitoring performance with these organizations can drive greater improvements.
• C (26-50): SMI scores in this range show a lack of evidence around proactive safety management programs and may indicate reactive safety practices focused on incident response rather than prevention. These suppliers need training on site-specific safety plans, closer monitoring, and greater oversight for high-risk activities.
• D (0-25): SMI scores in this range indicate minimal or absent evidence of safety practices. Rigorous inspections, detailed oversight, and monitoring are essential to mitigate potential risks and incidents for these organizations.

A contractor/supplier’s SMI grade is dynamic and is expected to evolve over time as contractors improve their SMS and provide more types of verification. SMI scores help drive continuous improvement by tracking and advancing contractor safety maturity.

“We’ve been building this (safety management system) for years — it was exciting to see how far we’ve come and how this could help us keep moving forward.” – Safety Leader, National Service Organization

Turning SMI Data into Action

The Safety Maturity Index not only measures safety practices but also actively informs the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model underpinning dynamic and responsive safety management systems. By integrating SMI insights into this well-established framework, organizations can improve safety practices across their supply chains more effectively.

The cyclical nature of the PDCA model, enhanced by comprehensive SMI data, ensures that safety management is a continuous, evolving process. Each cycle builds on the previous, using data-driven insights to refine and enhance every aspect of safety within the organization. This approach not only helps maintain compliance with current safety standards but also fosters a proactive safety culture that anticipates and mitigates risks before they lead to incidents.

To further support this journey, Avetta and the National Safety Council have partnered to offer suppliers in the Avetta network a special NSC member rate. The NSC provides research, training, and educational content that directly aligns with the primary measurement areas within the Safety Maturity Index — helping suppliers advance through each level with targeted support.

The SMI at Work

Avetta’s Safety Maturity Index isn’t just a framework – it’s a practical tool for building, validating, and evolving safety systems. Here’s how two different suppliers leveraged the SMI to strengthen their approach.

Supplier #1: Building a Safety Foundation from the Ground Up

A small, fast-growing service provider operating in high-risk field environments used SMI to structure its safety journey from the very beginning. With no dedicated safety team and informal processes, the leader sought a clearer path toward responsible growth.

The SMI assessment introduced key concepts like documentation, metrics, and risk indicators, and became a practical roadmap for scaling safety.

“This (SMI) gave me a roadmap — things I wouldn’t have known I needed to look at.” – Safety Leader, Filtration Solutions company

Participation in SMI not only validated early efforts but also reshaped the company’s mindset toward proactive risk management — making safety a key driver of business growth.

Supplier #2: Validating and Aligning a Mature Safety Program

A national service organization with a long-standing internal safety system turned to SMI to evaluate performance across its diverse business units. Despite strong practices, the company wanted a structured way to benchmark maturity, confirm strengths, and uncover opportunities for alignment.

By engaging with the SMI, the team gained a unified language for safety maturity, and a framework to reinforce consistency across the organization.

“We’re already doing what top safety performers should be doing. The SMI helped validate that — and now we can focus on where to go next.” – Safety Leader, National Service Organization

The result: clearer alignment, greater collaboration, and renewed momentum for continuous improvement.

Conclusion

Avetta’s Safety Maturity Index allows companies to assess each supplier’s safety management system implementation. This enables them to determine the presence or absence of systems, processes, and methods across the above five categories that predict an organization's capabilities to manage risk, prevent accidents, and improve safety. Hiring clients therefore can access leading indicator data that builds upon prequalification processes to highlight the root causes of safety issues in their supply chain. Ultimately, this tool enables entire supply chains to take the next historic step toward a transformative level of safety culture that ingrains safety and collaboration into the DNA of their supply chains.