Objective
To describe and evaluate the methodology of the ECoTES index, after its implementation in a pilot study in six Ibero-American countries. The ECoTES index (Spanish acronym for surveys of working conditions, employment and health) is designed to measure the performance of national occupational safety and health (OSH) systems.
Methods
The ECoTES index was calculated for each country based on two components: i) a 15-question survey answered by 47 experts from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, Honduras, and Peru; and ii) eight statistical indicators (total labor participation rate, female labor participation rate, rate of informal employment, percentage of gross domestic product allocated to social protection excluding health, percentage of the population covered by occupational risk insurance, percentage of the population covered by at least one social benefit, rate of fatalities due to occupational injuries, and rate of deaths attributable to occupational risks). Simulations were conducted with different weights given to each component, and the correlation between statistical indicators and the scores provided by experts was assessed.
Results
The survey was answered without difficulty. In addition to enabling construction of the index, the responses also served to improve its wording. There was a significant correlation between the scores for the different components of the index (r = 0.66) and the country rankings in the different simulations (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient: between 0.95 and 1).
Conclusions
The ECoTES index proved to be methodologically robust. It is the first indicator in the world to assess the performance of national OSH systems. Its periodic application will allow comparisons over time and between countries, and will help to foster improvements in national systems.