Using Leading Indicators to Anticipate Safety Issues and Strengthen Safety Systems

Joy Inouye

Research Associate,

Campbell Institute - National Safety Council

Save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at

work, in homes and communities, and on

the roads, through leadership, research,

education and advocacy.

The Campbell Institute, at the

National Safety Council, is the

EHS center of excellence.

Workplace By the Numbers - Historic

Radioactive

half-life?

Chicago Cubs’

World Series

prospects?

Absorption

Rate?

Lagging EHS

performance!

Participants

As of 2/15/2016

Leading Indicators Framework

1. Define- Characteristics

- Taxonomy

2. Align

- Enablers & Barriers

- Current state

3. Refine

- Categories

- Metrics

4. Design

- Implementation &

improvement plans

Mixed-Method Approach

Expert Panel Survey Workgroups Interviews

Leading indicator =

proactive + preventive + predictive

A Definition

The Critical Characteristics

Robust Leading Indicators:

• Actionable

• Achievable

• Explainable

• Meaningful

• Timely

• Transparent

• Useful

• Valid

Enablers to Implementation

Executive buy-in

(not technical

knowledge)

Corporate-level

roll-up and

tracking

Predictive value

communicated

& understood

Targeted collection

toward

specific outcomes

Barriers to Implementation

Inability to develop

consistently

actionable metrics

Continued C-suite

reliance on

lagging indicators

Lack of reliable,

consistent

relationship

Sporadic, infrequent,

non-standard

benchmarking

“What We Need is a Map!”

Taxonomy

Behavior based Operations based Systems based

• Activities

• Thoughts

• Perceptions

• Work processes

• Equipment• Functions of

system

Leading Indicator Matrix

Leading Indicator Program Design

Choosing, tracking, & analyzing leading indicators

What is already

being tracked?

The “bottom up”

approach

Start simply and

small

Does the indicator

provide meaningful

information?

Leading Indicator Program Design

Gaining support; roles & responsibilities

Obtain leadership

buy-in

Find the right pitch;

hone the language

Involve multiple

departments &

functions

Leading Indicator Program Design

Connection to safety management system

Integrate leading

indicators into

overall SMS

Balance leading

indicators with

lagging metrics to

measure success

Leading Indicator Program Implementation

Case Study: Cummins

Research &

benchmarking to

develop plan

Began with S&H

assessments and

preventive actions

Added S&H training

hours, hours worked,

% new employees

Evaluate leading

indicators through

correlation analyses

Case Study: Schneider Electric

Started leading

indicators at the site

level

Began tracking

training hours

Started tracking

effectiveness of

training

Celebrates leading

indicator milestones

to gain support

Case Study: Owens Corning

Started with system

of “yellow flags” for

soft risk

Began correlating

yellow flags with

lagging metrics

“Yellow flag” system

basis for corporate

leading indicators

Involves several

functional areas to

build support

Key Takeaways

How can I use this research?

1. Lead with framework &

taxonomy to start

discussions

2. Pull real-life examples

from Campbell Institute

white papers

3. Find resources on the

Campbell Library

Find the Institute’s Research

www.thecampbellinstitute.org/research

“Campbell Institute” @RWCInstitute

Finding 6: Leading Indicator Matrix

Finding 6: Leading Indicator Matrix

Finding 6: Leading Indicator Matrix