Lagging Indicators Training
Understanding how to measure and evaluate past safety performance is critical for business leaders and safety managers. This training explains how organizations use lagging indicators—retrospective metrics that reflect incidents and outcomes that have already occurred—to assess safety program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
The Lagging Indicators Training from Smarter Risk covers the core lagging indicators commonly used in safety and insurance performance reviews, including the Experience Modification Rate (EMR), Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), and workers’ compensation loss runs. Participants learn what each metric represents, how frequency and severity influence results, and how these indicators are typically reviewed together to interpret historical risk and business impact.
This training is informational and analytical in nature. It does not provide underwriting decisions, premium guarantees, or regulatory determinations. Instead, it equips learners with a clear understanding of how lagging indicators are calculated, interpreted, and used to evaluate historical safety performance and trends.
The course emphasizes practical application for business owners, executives, safety managers, and risk stakeholders who need to understand safety performance metrics, review workers’ compensation data, and make informed decisions about safety program investments and improvements.
What You’ll Learn
- Lagging vs. Leading Indicators - What lagging indicators are and how they differ from leading indicators
- TRIR Fundamentals - What TRIR measures, what counts as recordable, and how TRIR is calculated
- Experience Modification Rate - What EMR represents and how claims frequency and severity influence it
- Loss Run Reports - How to read key fields on a loss run report (status, incurred, paid, reserves, lag time)
- Frequency vs. Severity - How to separate frequency vs. severity trends to avoid misleading conclusions
- Common Mistakes - Over-reliance on one metric, underreporting, and misinterpretation pitfalls
- Review Cadence - How to use a simple review cadence to support ongoing improvement
- Trend Analysis - Identifying patterns in historical safety data
- Performance Metrics - Understanding incident frequency rate and incident severity rate
- Data-Driven Decisions - Using lagging indicators to guide safety program improvements
Course Details
Duration: 20 minutes
Format: Self Paced Online Training
Assessment: Knowledge quiz with immediate feedback
Certification: Certificate of completion upon passing
Access: Available 24/7 through Training Director LMS
Who Should Take This Course
- Business owners, executives, and operations leaders
- Safety managers, supervisors, and HR teams involved in incident reporting
- Risk and claims stakeholders who review workers’ compensation performance
- Insurance professionals and brokers supporting employer accounts
- Anyone responsible for tracking or explaining safety performance metrics
- Management teams evaluating safety program effectiveness
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the training take?
The course takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Participants can complete the training in one session or break it into multiple sessions at their convenience.
Is this an OSHA compliance course?
No. This is a risk management and business analytics course designed for managers and business leaders. It explains how to interpret safety performance metrics like EMR, TRIR, and loss runs. It does not teach OSHA recordkeeping requirements or regulatory compliance procedures.
Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes. Upon successful completion, participants can generate a certificate of completion. All progress is stored and accessible in the main dashboard under Learner Report.
How often should managers take this training?
We recommend this training for new managers, executives, and safety coordinators when they assume roles involving safety performance review or workers’ compensation management. Annual refresher training helps reinforce concepts and update knowledge as metrics evolve.
Can we track completion across our management team?
Yes. Training Director provides real-time tracking of assignments, completion status, and quiz scores for all participants.
Will this training reduce our EMR or insurance premiums?
No. This training explains how EMR and other lagging indicators work and how to interpret them. It does not guarantee premium reductions or EMR improvements. Actual insurance costs are determined by underwriters based on claims history, industry classification, and other factors outside the scope of this educational course.
Does this cover OSHA 300 log recordkeeping?
This training explains what counts as a recordable injury for TRIR calculation purposes and how recordables impact safety metrics. It does not teach detailed OSHA 300 log recordkeeping procedures or regulatory compliance requirements. Employers should consult OSHA resources or qualified professionals for recordkeeping compliance guidance.
What’s the difference between lagging and leading indicators?
Lagging indicators measure past outcomes (injuries that already occurred, costs already incurred). Leading indicators measure proactive activities (safety inspections completed, training hours delivered, near-misses reported). This course focuses on lagging indicators—understanding what happened and why—to inform future safety program decisions.
Get Started
Lagging Indicators Training is included with the Intelligent Plan.
- Sign up - You can begin on the free plan and upgrade when you’re ready to assign courses.
- Complete the company risk assessment (required) - It takes less than 15 minutes. Answer all questions as accurately as possible so we can set up your account correctly.
- Access your dashboard - After submitting the assessment, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard.
- Click Training Director - Start assigning courses to your team.
Related Resources
Related Training Courses
- Safety Orientation Training - General workplace safety fundamentals for all employees
- Accident Investigation Training - Root cause analysis and incident investigation for managers
- Building a Strong Safety Culture - Leadership strategies for improving safety performance
Related Blog Posts
- Workers Compensation Experience Modification Rate: The #1 Strategy to Lower Your Costs - Comprehensive guide to understanding and improving your EMR
- Understanding Leading Indicators in Workplace Safety - How proactive safety metrics complement lagging indicators
Related Toolbox Talks
- Lagging Indicators: Using Incident Metrics to Improve Safety Performance - Understanding and using lagging indicators for continuous improvement
- The Importance of Near-Miss Reporting - Proactive safety through leading indicator tracking
Tools & Resources
- OSHA Recordable App - Free interactive tool to determine if an injury is OSHA recordable and counts toward your TRIR
- Safety ROI Calculator - Calculate the true cost of workplace injuries and the financial impact on your business