Washington — OSHA has created a webpage aimed at helping employers use leading indicators – tracking workplace conditions and events to prevent injuries and illnesses before they occur – to improve their safety and health programs, the agency announced Aug. 9 via Twitter.
“Leading indicators can play a vital role in preventing worker fatalities, injuries and illnesses and strengthening other safety and health outcomes in the workplace,” OSHA states on the webpage. “Leading indicators are proactive and preventive measures that can shed light about the effectiveness of safety and health activities and reveal potential problems in a safety and health program.”
A downloadable document includes information on the characteristics of effective leading indicators, finding leading indicators in data that you’re already collecting, and how to use leading indicators to improve parts of your safety and health management program, as well as an action plan checklist.
“A good safety and health program uses leading indicators to drive change and lagging indicators (e.g., injury and illness statistics) to measure effectiveness,” OSHA states.
