What does a well-designed management system measure?
2026. 06. 05.
Accident numbers are delayed feedback; leading indicators signal earlier.
Most organisations measure occupational safety performance by the number of accidents. That is understandable because it is the easiest figure to compare, but it is delayed feedback: it signals when harm has already occurred.
A well-designed management system therefore also tracks leading indicators: the number of management walkarounds, the rate of near-miss reporting, training coverage and the timeliness of risk assessments. These signal months earlier than accident figures.
A metric is only useful if a management decision follows from it. That is why indicators should be on the agenda of regular management meetings, not locked in an annual report.