Leading indicators are proactive safety measures, while lagging indicators reflect safety outcomes. Which of the following is a lagging indicator?

Leading indicators are proactive safety measures, while lagging indicators reflect safety outcomes. Which of the following is a lagging indicator?

• A. Lagging indicators are outcomes such as injuries and near misses.
• B. Leading indicators are proactive measures such as training hours and inspections.
• C. Both A and B are true.
• D. Leading indicators are only about equipment maintenance.

Answer: (C)

Leading indicators measure proactive actions that reduce risk, while lagging indicators reflect safety outcomes after events have occurred. A lagging indicator is something like injuries or near misses because it shows what has already happened and the level of safety performance in the past. A leading indicator would be activities such as training hours and inspections, which are done to prevent incidents before they occur. Since both statements correctly describe the respective types—lagging indicators as outcomes and leading indicators as proactive measures—the best choice is the one that says both are true. The idea that leading indicators are only about equipment maintenance is too narrow and misses the broader range of proactive activities used to gauge safety.

Leading indicators measure proactive actions that reduce risk, while lagging indicators reflect safety outcomes after events have occurred. A lagging indicator is something like injuries or near misses because it shows what has already happened and the level of safety performance in the past. A leading indicator would be activities such as training hours and inspections, which are done to prevent incidents before they occur. Since both statements correctly describe the respective types—lagging indicators as outcomes and leading indicators as proactive measures—the best choice is the one that says both are true. The idea that leading indicators are only about equipment maintenance is too narrow and misses the broader range of proactive activities used to gauge safety.