Are You Tracking the Wrong Safety KPIs? Most Businesses Are, Here’s How to Fix It

If your workplace safety strategy revolves around “days since last incident” or “lost time injury rates,” you’re not alone. But you could be focusing on the wrong numbers.

These metrics are useful, sure, but they only tell you what’s already gone wrong. To see a real shift in safety outcomes, you need to start tracking actions that prevent incidents before they happen.

Are-You-Tracking-the-Wrong-Safety-KPIs?-Most-Businesses-Are, Here’s-How-to-Fix-It- Dowell-Solutions

This is where leading KPIs come into play. Unlike lagging KPIs, which report past incidents, leading KPIs focus on proactive, preventative measures. And if you get them right, they can drive a real cultural shift in your workplace.

You may have heard of these referred to as Positive Performance Indicators.

What’s the Difference Between Leading and Lagging KPIs?

Before we get into how to fix your KPIs, let’s make sure we’re clear on the difference.

  • Lagging KPIs: These measure what’s already happened. Think “days since last incident” or “number of lost time injuries”. They’re backward-looking and reactive.
  • Leading KPIs: These measure proactive actions taken to prevent incidents. Think “number of risk assessments conducted” or “number of near-misses reported”. They’re forward-looking and proactive.

Lagging KPIs are useful for tracking performance, but they won’t stop incidents from happening. Leading KPIs, on the other hand, help you control and prevent incidents before they happen.

Are You Focusing on the Wrong Safety KPIs?

If your KPIs are mostly lagging indicators, you’re not alone. It’s a mistake many businesses make. The problem is that lagging KPIs tell you something after it’s too late to change it.

Here’s a simple way to check if you’re focusing on the wrong KPIs:
Look at the metrics you track in your monthly reports or dashboards.
If most of them sound like:

  • Days since last incident
  • Number of lost time injuries (LTI)
  • Number of workers’ compensation claims


…then you’re mostly tracking lagging indicators. While these have their place, they shouldn’t be your only focus.

The Power of Leading KPIs

If people focus on what’s being measured, doesn’t it make sense to measure the actions that actively prevent incidents?

That’s where leading KPIs come in. When you track and report on proactive safety measures, your team naturally starts to focus on them. This shift alone can have a dramatic impact on safety outcomes.

ISO 45001 is becoming widely adopted in Australia and it emphasises the importance of leading KPIs such as hazard inspections and risk assessments to foster a culture of prevention. By aligning your workplace safety strategy with these internationally recognised standards, you can ensure your business stays ahead in managing risks proactively.

Here are some powerful leading KPIs to start tracking:

  • Number of hazard inspections completed
  • Number of risk assessments conducted
  • Number of hazard controls implemented
  • Number of near-misses reported
  • Number of safety audits completed
  • Number of safety training sessions attended
  • Percentage of corrective actions closed on time

These are proactive actions that prevent incidents. If you start measuring them, your team will focus on them and that’s when you’ll see change.

How to Shift Your KPIs From Lagging to Leading

Ready to make the shift? Here’s how to start:

  1. Audit Your Current KPIs
    Look at all the metrics you’re tracking right now. Are they mostly focused on “what went wrong” (lagging) or “what can we do to prevent issues” (leading)? Highlight any lagging KPIs that need to be balanced with a leading equivalent.

  2. Add One Leading KPI at a Time
    You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Start with just one leading KPI, such as “number of hazard inspections completed”, and add it to your reports. This small change can have a big ripple effect.

  3. Make It Visible
    If your team can’t see it, they won’t care about it. Display the leading KPI on noticeboards, dashboards, or in team meetings. People naturally start focusing on what’s being tracked.

  4. Link Leading KPIs to Goals
    Tie KPIs to something meaningful. For example, if you want to reduce lost time injuries (lagging KPI), set a goal to increase the “number of risk assessments conducted” (leading KPI). The more risk assessments your team does, the more controls are generally put in place and therefore fewer incidents are likely to happen.

  5. Review, Refine, Repeat
    Track how effective your new leading KPIs are over time. If one isn’t driving change, it might not be the right fit for your business. Adjust as needed.
Quick Win: Start with One Simple Change This Week

Feeling overwhelmed? Start with one small step.

This week, choose just one leading KPI to track. It could be as simple as counting how many risk assessments are completed each month. This is something you can start tracking today without changing your entire system.

When you make this shift, you’ll see your team’s focus start to change. Suddenly, they’re not just thinking about how many days it’s been since the last incident. They’re thinking about the actions they can take to keep everyone safe before an incident occurs.

For managers looking for additional guidance, Dowell Solutions offers a free custom GPT tool to help identify and implement positive safety KPIs. This tool simplifies the process by providing tailored recommendations, helping you focus on proactive measures.

 

Discover the Safety KPI Advisor

Your FREE Partner in Building a Safer Workplace

Write tailored Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with the Safety KPI Advisor, a free and specialised tool designed to empower safety leaders across industries.

From crafting SMART safety goals to tracking proactive measures, this easy-to-use resource simplifies the process of creating positive safety KPI’s.  With detailed guidance on leading indicators, the Safety KPI Advisor ensures your workplace safety efforts are actionable, measurable, and aligned with your organisational objectives.

Whether you’re in construction, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, or beyond, this free tool provides the insights and resources needed to drive meaningful safety improvements.

Start building a safer workplace today with the Safety KPI Advisor, completely free!

Picture of ABOUT THE Author - Kylie Dowell

ABOUT THE Author - Kylie Dowell

Kylie Dowell is a seasoned WHS consultant, trainer, and safety advocate with over 25 years of experience helping Australian businesses create safer, compliant workplaces.

Through her partnership with TEAMS, an accredited Registered Training Organisation, Kylie delivers a wide range of training up to Advanced Diploma level, empowering businesses with the knowledge and skills to manage safety effectively.

As an approved trainer for Health and Safety Representative (HSR) courses by three Safety Regulators, Kylie has guided countless organisations in building stronger safety cultures and fostering healthier work environments.

Specialising in practical and effective safety solutions, she works closely with small and medium-sized businesses to simplify complex WHS requirements, making safety approachable and achievable.

When she’s not delivering high-quality training or conducting ISO 45001-certified audits, Kylie enjoys collaborating with her clients to design tailored workshops and strategies that suit their unique needs.

Ready to make safety simpler? Get in touch with Kylie today for personalised support.