Lagging indicator
A measure of past outcomes, such as injury rates or the number of fatalities.
Definition, in the source's words
OSHA, Using Leading Indicators to Improve Safety and Health Outcomes (2019), p. 3(opens osha.gov in a new tab)“leading indicators are proactive, preventive, and predictive measures that provide information about the effective performance of your safety and health activities. They measure events leading up to injuries, illnesses, and other incidents and reveal potential problems in your safety and health program. In contrast, lagging indicators measure the occurrence and frequency of events that occurred in the past, such as the number or rate of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.”
What it means
Lagging indicators show results after the fact. The TRIR and DART rate are the classic examples. They matter, but they're slow, and at small sites a single case swings them widely.
Example
A site with 4 recordable cases in 250,000 hours has a TRIR of (4 × 200,000) ÷ 250,000 = 3.2. That's a lagging indicator: it tells you what already happened.
Where it appears on the exam
ASP: ASP11 Domain 1, Mathematical Calculations
Practice: Safety Math: Incident Rates, Noise Dose, Slopes, Lifting
CSP: CSP11 Domain 2, Program Management
Practice: Incident and DART Rate Calculations
CHST: CHST5 Domain 3, Safety Program Development, Implementation, and Sustainment
Practice: Leading Indicators and Program Evaluation, Incident Rate Calculations
Questions
- Why aren't lagging indicators enough?
- They only show harm that's already happened, and with few cases they swing widely from year to year. Leading indicators show whether prevention is working.
Related
Checked 2026-10-16. Spot a problem? Email hello@passcited.com.