Moving from lagging to leading indicators of safety, and why it's important.
The answer to efficient, compliant, safer workplaces doesn’t lie in more paperwork or fancy software dashboards. You might think that's a very unusual statement to make, particularly from an organisation that specialises in custom EHSQ compliance software! Well that's because we are probably a very unusual company, that prefers to focus on safety not sales! Whether you think it’s an unusual statement or not is irrelevant, the reality is that the secret sauce is Safety Leadership. That's right…Leadership, specifically, the kind of leadership that values leading indicators over lagging ones.
Lagging Indicators: The Rearview Mirror of Safety
To put it short and sweet, lagging indicators reflect what has already happened, after the damage is done. They might be easy to measure, but they’re practically useless when it comes to prevention. It still amazes us that many organisations don't even measure lagging injury statistics like Lost Time Injury Frequency Rates (LTIFR) and Total Recordable Incident Rates (TRIR) to track safety. Not wanting to be controversial, but let’s face it: if your metric goes up only when someone gets hurt, you’re measuring failure!
Imagine trying to drive a car by only looking in the rearview mirror. Unfortunately that’s how lots of companies still manage safety today. Lets be clear here, measuring something is certainly better than nothing, but there is a better way! dulann believe that empowering teams with data not assumptions, focusing on what matters, and intervening early, should be key drivers! Moving swiftly along…
Digitised Behavior-Based Safety (BBS): A Better Way Forward
Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) has long been seen as a proactive alternative, but in our opinion when delivered via paper forms and spreadsheets, it rarely moves the needle.
Digitising BBS turns this around by making safety:
- Real-time – Observations happen via mobile, not Monday’s memory.
- Data-rich – Trends are visualised, not buried in paper.
- Actionable – Feedback is instant, and follow-ups are tracked.
dulann believes that this shift makes it easier for leaders to understand what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. We are biased of course, but we here in dulann see it in action every day.
Leading Indicators Work. Let’s talk reality:
- A study of 261 contractors in the oil and gas industry showed a 0.725 correlation between leading indicators and lower injury rates. That’s a very strong link between proactive measures and better outcomes. (Source: ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering)
- A construction site that adopted a leading indicator system saw its Safety Performance Index (SPI) jump from 39% to 67%. That’s a measurable improvement driven by proactive observation and response. (Source: PubMed, 2021)
- Companies using 6 or more leading indicators had less than half the accident rate of companies using fewer. Just tracking more proactive measures cut their average rate from 26 to 11 accidents per 1,000 workers. (Source: PMC Occupational Health Study)
This isn't a theory. It’s proof that what you measure changes what you manage, and in turn changes your results.
From Reactive to Preventive: What You Could Be Tracking
Digital platforms now make it easy to log and measure leading indicators such as:
- Frequency of positive vs. at-risk behaviors observed
- Number of near misses reported per department
- Frequency of safety inspections or audits
- Number of safety training sessions completed etc.
These aren’t just data points. They’re early warning signs, and leadership tools.
It’s Not About the App. It’s About Accountability
Yes, software matters. But without leadership, it’s just another dashboard.
True safety leadership means:
- Acting on the data, not just collecting it
- Prioritising feedback loops over form-filling
- Valuing conversations over compliance
- Holding yourself, and your teams, accountable for creating a culture of prevention
Final Thought: Leading Starts with What You Measure
In our opinion, if your safety program starts and ends with how many people got hurt, you’re already too late.
Digitising BBS with the right mindset and metrics gives you something far more powerful: the ability to predict, intervene, and lead.
So no, it’s not about EHS Software...
It’s about leadership that refuses to wait for injury to take action.
Talk to us today for a demo of our EHS Management System.
