PreAccident Investigation Podcast PAPod 581- Measuring the Invisible: When 'Nothing Happened' Breaks Safety Metrics
Jan 17, 2026
Explore the challenge of measuring events that never happen and why traditional safety metrics can mislead organizations. Discover the pitfalls of frequency-based measures and the importance of focusing on meaningful safeguards. Learn how automation introduces new risks and why validating continuous safety controls is crucial. Todd discusses measuring desired outcomes rather than failures, emphasizing that 'nothing happening' doesn't equate to safety. Tune in for valuable insights on improving safety metrics and practices.
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Podcast Automation Caused A Glitch
- Todd describes a recent podcast technical failure where automation introduced a new point of failure.
- Listeners alerted him and he fixed the issue after verification and contact with the host.
Counting Accidents Misleads Safety
- Measuring safety by counting accidents is misleading because good safety work makes bad events rare or absent.
- Todd Conklin argues we need metrics that validate safeguards, not just count injuries.
Frequency Isn't A Predictor Of Severity
- Frequency of events does not predict severity or catastrophic loss.
- Control of energy and safeguards matters far more than how often incidents occur.