PERFORMANCE

OUR PERFORMANCE STORY 2015 39
What we mean by stable results
Figures from sample surveys like MBIE’s National Survey of Employers are subject to variation arising from
using a sample of people (rather than surveying the total population). This variation, known as a margin of
error, gives a range in which the result would probably lie if another random sample answered the question.
When margins of error overlap, results are not statistically significant. An example of this is measure
1 b – the proportion of employers who ‘agree that good health and safety systems are good for their
businesses’. In 2013/14 the result was 89% with a margin of error of +/-3.6%; in 2014/15 the result was 83%
with a margin of error +/-3.4%. In this instance we have used the term ‘stable’ to illustrate that there has
been no statistically significant improvement or decline in the two years.
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
DESIRED
OUTCOME
2014/15
RESULT
COMMENTS
1. Attitudes improve
a. We will research workplace health and
safety attitudes in forestry, agriculture,
manufacturing, and construction in 2014.
Through the WorkSafe baseline research
we will establish base data by Dec 2014,
and changes to those attitudes will be
monitored in 2015 and 2016. Refer to the
Statement of Performance Expectations
(SPE) 2014/15 p13.
Baselines
established
Completed
We completed this research and
established baselines as planned. Our
baseline research is known as the Health
and Safety Attitudes and Behaviours
Survey. The research was released in
June 2015. Changes to baselines will be
monitored and results from a suite of
measures will be reported in our Annual
Reports for 2015/16 and 2016/17.
b. As a supplementary measure we will
monitor the rate of employers who agree
that good health and safety systems are
good for their businesses. This will be
measured annually through the National
Survey of Employers. The result
for both 2012/13 and 2013/14
was 89%. Ref SPE 14/15 p13.
Results
monitored
83%
The National Survey of Employers
in 2014/15 found that a stable majority
of respondents were saying that health
and safety systems were good for their
businesses. However, it is our experience
that many employers overestimate the
ease of creating effective health and
safety systems and the quality of their
existing systems.