Final answer:
Safety meeting attendance is a leading indicator of safety program performance, reflecting employee engagement with safety practices before incidents occur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metric that is a leading indicator of safety program performance is c. Safety meeting attendance. Leading indicators are proactive, preventive, and predictive measures that provide information about the effectiveness of safety operations before any incidents occur. Safety meeting attendance is a good leading indicator because it reflects the level of engagement and awareness among employees regarding safety protocols and initiatives. High attendance rates at safety meetings suggest that employees are more likely to be informed about safe practices, which can lead to a decrease in accident rates and safety violations, as well as lower worker's compensation costs. On the other hand, metrics like accident rate and worker's compensation costs are considered lagging indicators as they provide information after accidents have occurred.