Leading indicators process safety incident

Leading metrics are forward-looking and indicate the performance of the key work processes, operating discipline, or layers of protection that prevent incidents. They are designed to give an early indication of problems or deterioration in key safety systems early enough that corrective actions may be taken to avoid a major process safety incident. 

The Secret to Measuring Process Safety Performance Combine Process Incident Data with Leading Indicators, Steve Arendt... 

One documented method uses process safety barriers identification for metrics selection. This concept uses a combination of lagging and leading indicators associated with process safety barriers and incident escalation controls to evaluate the process safety system performance. The basis for this method is documented in the U.K. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication HSG254 and illustrated by Figures 4.1-4.3. The strength of this technique arises from using the combination of indicators that provides multiple perspectives for judging the surety of a barrier or escalation control. For example, this basic concept was adopted and modified by BP to focus upon three information sources to assess key control barriers as summarized below ... 

Use hazard analysis findings to identify potential high-impact events and the process safety barriers intended to prevent such incidents. Select metrics that indicate the health of these barriers. This is a direct recommendation in HSG254, and the BP plant in Hull, England, is piloting this approach (see Appendix II). This perspective is seen as a leading indicator. 

Clearly, process safety performance is important to both risk avoidance and financial performance. Make process safety a key part of due diligence. The due-diligence team needs a process safety representative to be sure the right information is requested and once the information is received that it is properly evaluated. Oftentimes the evaluation centers around performance and liabilities incidents, inspections, lawsuits, fines, etc. These are important lagging indicators. The leading organizational indicators are also important. Some of these are ... 

Three types of process safety performance metrics are described in the document and the text on their selection and application is extensive. Reference is made to lagging metrics leading metrics, and near miss and other internal lagging metrics. Note that near misses are a metric separate from lagging indicators. This is the only publication found that makes that disfinction. As will be seen, there is a purpose for doing so in the CCPS document. The metrics pertain only to chemical process incidents and near misses, to the exclusion of types of incidents that are not process related. 

In the practice of safety, if the leading indicators chosen and the following activity to improve safety management processes relate to achievable reductions in incident and lost-workday case rates, a system can be created to measure results in relation to expectations. But, if an entity has achieved superior results in its class and maintains those results over several years with minor statistical variations, expectations for significant rate reductions are unreal. For such situations, an informal measurement system pertaining to the appropriateness of selected leading indicators and the quality of activities related to them may be the best that can be achieved. 

---