In his Safety 2012 presentation, Predicting & Preventing: Using Leading Indicators to Assess Safety Performance, Chuck Pettinger, of Predictive Solutions, urged attendees to challenge thoughts, take those observations to the next level and achieve saving lives by predicting workplace injuries.
Pettinger says that companies may struggle with leading indicators because they may question the validity of the data; they may fail to use the observation intelligence; and they may lose momentum and create a downward spiral that involves no follow-up or employees seeing no value.
To evolve your company's inspection and observation processes, he suggests the following:
1) Use a simple hazard analysis for severity.
2) Assess observer quality. Since all observers are not the same, use a guideline for excellence.
3) Identify your gold star observers and use them as benchmarks.
4) Track your open issues until they are closed.
5) Automate data entry and analysis. Embrace technology.
6) Use predictive analytics. This captures trends that are not visible to casual observers and establishes a certain mind-set.
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers