Measuring Performance Flashcards
6 cards from real IOSH practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Measuring Performance flashcards as text
What is a 'leading indicator' in health and safety performance measurement?
Answer: A proactive measure that monitors activities and conditions before incidents occur, such as training completion rates or inspection findings
Leading indicators are proactive measures that monitor safety inputs and processes before incidents occur. Examples include: percentage of risk assessments completed, training compliance rates, safety inspection scores, near-miss reporting rates, and safety observation results.
What is a 'lagging indicator' in health and safety performance measurement?
Answer: A reactive measure based on outcomes such as accident rates, lost-time injuries, occupational illness rates and enforcement actions
Lagging indicators are reactive measures based on past events and outcomes. Examples include: number of accidents, lost-time injury frequency rate, RIDDOR-reportable incidents, days lost to injury/illness, compensation claims, and enforcement notices received.
What is the purpose of a workplace safety audit?
Answer: To systematically evaluate whether the health and safety management system is achieving its objectives and complying with standards
A safety audit is a systematic, independent examination of the health and safety management system to determine whether policies, procedures and practices are adequate, being implemented, and achieving their objectives. It covers the whole management system, not just physical conditions.
What is the difference between a safety 'inspection' and a safety 'audit'?
Answer: An inspection examines physical workplace conditions; an audit evaluates the management system, policies and procedures
An inspection focuses on the physical conditions of the workplace — identifying hazards, checking equipment, verifying controls are in place. An audit is a broader, systematic evaluation of the entire health and safety management system — policies, procedures, training, records, and compliance.
What is a 'Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate' (LTIFR)?
Answer: The number of lost-time injuries per 1,000,000 hours worked, used to benchmark safety performance
LTIFR = (number of lost-time injuries × 1,000,000) ÷ total hours worked. It standardises injury data to allow meaningful comparison between organisations of different sizes and between different time periods. It is one of the most widely used lagging indicators.
Why is it important to use both leading and lagging indicators?
Answer: Leading indicators measure prevention efforts while lagging indicators measure outcomes — together they give a complete picture of safety performance
Using both types provides a balanced view. Lagging indicators show whether harm is occurring (outcomes), while leading indicators show whether preventive measures are working (process). Relying solely on lagging indicators means you only learn from failures, not from what's working well.