The useful starting point
Report what the measure counts, preserve its denominator and time window, and state what it cannot establish.
Use the labels carefully
CCOHS distinguishes leading indicators, which concern preventive activity and conditions, from lagging indicators recording outcomes that have occurred. The label alone does not make a measure useful. Its definition, collection method and relationship to the question still matter.
For this case, the team tracks whether planned inspection reviews were completed and separately records reported incidents. The two measures provide different information. Neither should be treated as a prediction that an incident will or will not happen next week.
Read the fictional dashboard
| Measure | Fictional result | Question it helps answer | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planned inspection reviews completed | 8 of 10. | How much of the planned review activity was recorded as complete? | It does not establish review quality or control effectiveness. |
| Reviewed actions with verification evidence | 5 of 8. | Which reviewed actions include the defined follow-up evidence? | The evidence itself still needs interpretation. |
| Reported incidents during the period | 2. | How many reports meet this dashboard’s definition? | The count alone does not show exposure, reporting completeness or cause. |
Check definitions before comparisons
Ask what “complete” means in the first row. Does it mean a reviewer opened the file, signed a checklist or documented a decision? The same label could hide different counting rules. Write the rule explicitly.
For reported incidents, check the event definition and time window. Do not combine one team’s monthly count with another team’s quarterly count and call the difference a trend. Missing records should remain missing rather than silently becoming zero.
Avoid a causal story the data cannot support
If completed reviews rise and reported incidents fall, the figures describe changes in those measures. They do not by themselves establish that the reviews caused the decrease. Other changes in work, exposure, reporting or the period could matter.
Similarly, an increase in reports could reflect several possibilities. The dashboard is a starting point for questions, not permission to label a team careless. Look for supporting context before choosing an explanation.
Use the dashboard to choose a review question
A practical next question from the fictional data is: “Why do three reviewed actions lack the defined verification evidence?” That points to a bounded record review. It is more actionable than asking why the overall dashboard is not green.
For your own study, create one sentence that reports a number accurately and a second that names its limit. Then compare the indicators with the objective worksheet so every measure has a reason to be collected.
Check your reasoning.
A month with zero recorded incidents also has missing reporting records. Can the dashboard say there were definitely no incidents?
Open the suggested reasoning
No. State the recorded count and the reporting gap. Missing information is not evidence that no event occurred.
An original learning exercise from NCSO Prep, not an official exam question.
Sources and scope
Source review: . The examples and study methods are NCSO Prep editorial material. Official requirements and workplace decisions must be checked against the applicable current source.
- CCOHS: Health and Safety Programs — Leading and Lagging Indicators
Background reference; the fictional case and worksheet are original NCSO Prep examples.