Measure control, not activity.
A perspective from Norman K. Desormeaux on what it takes to protect people and strengthen organizations.
Busy does not always mean effective
Organizations can produce impressive counts of inspections, audits, observations and training hours while still carrying significant uncontrolled exposure. Activity can support prevention. It cannot, by itself, prove that the systems designed to prevent serious events are working.
A different question
Instead of asking only how many inspections were completed, ask whether high-consequence controls were verified where they matter most. Instead of celebrating the number of training sessions delivered, determine whether workers can demonstrate the skills and decisions required for the work.
Design meaningful assurance
A useful management system identifies critical risks, assigns clear control ownership, defines how each control is verified and gives leaders a timely signal when the system is drifting. It connects what crews see in the field with what executives need to know to make decisions.
Measure what changes exposure
Strong leading indicators are chosen because they show whether important safeguards exist and remain reliable. The objective is not fewer metrics or more metrics. It is a better understanding of where risk is increasing and what leaders should do next.
Continue the conversation: The themes explored here are developed further in Norman's books and The Safety Directive.