Conference about EHS Leading Indicators - Facing Front While Looking Back

This session describes what a leading indicator is, how to use it, and how to measure it. We ask ourselves “I know what went wrong because I investigated it and tracked it", but how do I know “what went right."

That is a question we all ask ourselves and our clients (the bosses) especially want to know because they have to justify the money spent and the resources allocated to the safety and environmental activities. When we have good months or even good years (the statistics on incidents are low) how do we know why. If the safety statistics or environmental incidents graph shows peaks and dips over the last several years - WHY? If the graph shows a high, then a gradual lowering with a continuous low over several years - WHY? We will discuss how leading indicators are used in other fields and why they can apply to the safety field. We discuss what a leading indicator is NOT and well as what one IS. We discuss what a leading indicator should be built upon and the kind of culture needed.

We look at the operational processes like: How we build it; the specs we use when building it; what contractors or sub-contractors we use; what level of competency are we expecting from our employees and contractors. We look at Condition processes like: Preventive or predictive maintenance; strategic planning for occupational health & industrial hygiene; hazard identification reports. We look at Behavioral processes like: At-risk observations; interventions (stop work). We make the list of activities a short one, which includes processes, conditions and behaviors. We come up with a list of leading indicators.

We examine a Near-hit graph and a first aid, medical treatment and lost time graph to analyze the results of using the right leading indicators. We examine a reporting performance system that records all incidents or events. We then analyze each one separately, measure each incident or event for consequences and adjust accordingly. 

Why should you Attend: 
The information provides insight on the kinds of processes and programs, as well as standards and practices that should be implemented and tracked in order to determine what is “going right" vs what is “going wrong." It provides a go-forward path for the activities that work and the activities that don't work. 

Areas Covered in the Session:

• How do you know you are doing the right things in order to bring the incident rate down
• Define a leading indicator vs. a lagging indicator in statistics
• Define what a leading indicator is NOT
• Define what a leading indicator IS
• How to use your company or safety culture as the platform for your leading indicators
• Describe the kinds of leading indicators - operational processes - Condition processes - Behavioral processes
• The activities list should be short to be effective
• We list out the leading indicators that work best in any organization
• We look at graphs where leading indicators made a difference in near-hits and all OSHA recordable incidents
• We look at Reporting Performance Systems and how they work

• All levels of EHS practitioners
• Environmental Engineers
• Health and Safety Professionals
• Energy Professionals
• EHS Managers
• Chemical Engineers
• Construction Managers
• Government Officials