700 Introduction to Safety Management

Element 3: A System of Performance Measurement

In an effective safety accountability system, the performance of employees at all levels in the company is measured. The measurement process includes making observations, assessing behaviors, and evaluating resulting performance. Behaviors and performance may take the form of leading or lagging indicators:

• Leading indicators – measure proactive employee and program performance. They are predictive measures that provide information used to anticipate and prevent incidents before they occur. For example, in a safety context, the number of safety training sessions held would be a leading indicator, as more training could lead to fewer accidents in the future.
• Lagging indicators – measure reactive employee and program performance. They are retrospective measures that provide information about past performance or events. They measure outcomes and are used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions after the fact. Continuing with the safety example, the number of workplace accidents in the past month would be a lagging indicator, as it reflects incidents that have already occurred.

Below are more examples of leading and lagging indicators for managers, supervisors, and employees.

Managers: Measurement at this level focuses most often on lagging indicators describing performance over which managers have little direct control.

This situation may cause top managers to pressure supervisors to hold down the number of accidents in their departments.

• Proactive leading indicators:
• The development of effective safety policies, programs, processes, and procedures
• The provision of physical resources and psychosocial support

• Reactive lagging indicators:
• Injury and accident rates
• Annual Experience Modification Rates (MOD Rates)

Supervisors: Like managers, supervisors may not be able to control the results of employee performance in their work area. They do, however, have the ability to control their personal performance.

• Proactive leading indicators:
• The development of effective safety policies, programs, processes, and procedures
• The provision of physical resources and psychosocial support

• Reactive lagging indicators:
• Number of department injury accidents
• Rate at which supervisors reprimand after accidents

Employees: Employees who have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities are also responsible for their choices regarding their safety performance.

• Proactive leading indicators:
• Rate employees report near-miss incidents
• Number of safety suggestions

• Reactive lagging indicators:
• Number of instances of non-compliance
• Rate at which employees report injury accidents

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