Leading & Lagging Safety Indicators
Safety numbers show up in bids, prequalification forms and company meetings. Lagging indicators count harm that already happened. Leading indicators measure the work that prevents harm. A good safety program watches both.
- Supervisors
- Employers
Lagging indicators
| Measure | What it is |
|---|---|
| TRIR (total recordable incident rate) | Recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers per year |
| DART rate | Cases with days away, restricted work or job transfer, per 100 full-time workers |
| EMR (experience modification rate) | A workers’ comp rating comparing a company’s claims to others in its industry; 1.0 is average |
| Fatalities and serious injuries | The outcomes that matter most |
Calculating an incident rate
Rate = number of cases × 200,000 ÷ total hours worked. The 200,000 represents 100 workers working 40 hours a week for 50 weeks.
Example: 3 recordable cases and 150,000 hours worked: 3 × 200,000 ÷ 150,000 = a TRIR of 4.0.
Leading indicators
- Near misses and hazards reported
- Corrective actions completed, and how fast
- Safety observations and inspections done (with quality, not just counts)
- Training completed, including site orientation
- Pre-task plans reviewed with crews
- Worker participation in safety committees and meetings
Why both matter
- Low injury numbers can come from luck, small crews, or unreported injuries, not from safe work.
- Serious and fatal incidents are rare enough that a good TRIR doesn’t mean a site is free of deadly hazards.
- Leading indicators show whether the safety system is actually working day to day.
Numbers can be gamed. Pressure to keep TRIR low can push injuries off the books or into “first aid.” Pressure to hit observation targets can produce copied forms. Watch the quality behind the numbers, and never discourage reporting. See Safety Incentives.
Standards & references
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