The purpose of this recommended practice (RP) is to identify leading and lagging indicators in the refining and petrochemical industries for nationwide public reporting as well as indicators for use at individual facilities including methods for the development and use of performance indicators. A comprehensive leading and lagging indicators program provides useful information for driving improvement and when acted upon contributes to reducing risks of major hazards (e.g. by identifying the underlying causes and taking action to prevent recurrence). This RP may augment a Company's existing practices and procedures.

This RP identifies leading and lagging process safety indicators useful for driving performance improvement. As a framework for measuring activity, status or performance, this document classifies process safety indicators into four tiers of leading and lagging indicators. Tiers 1 and 2 are suitable for nationwide public reporting and Tiers 3 and 4 are intended for internal use at individual facilities. Guidance on methods for development and use of performance indicators is also provided.