A close call / near miss is an unplanned event that had the potential to result in injury, illness or damage – but fortunately, it did not. In workplaces, near-miss situations are common occurrences, though they are often ignored. However, near misses can be looked on as a free lesson to learn how to prevent accidents from occurring. Therefore, gathering information about near misses and analysing the information to initiate the appropriate corrective actions is a way to promote safety in the workplace.
According to accident causation theories, for every reported major injury, there are several minor accidents and 300 near misses. Therefore, the importance of identifying near misses is widely recognized, because when the potential causes of accidents are eliminated, the possibility of major injuries diminishes.
Gather the information about near misses
Analysing the near misses is part of an effective safety management system. Workers are in a key position to report near misses. The challenge is how best to transmit the information about near misses from the workers to the management. The collection of near-miss reports requires co-operation between employees and the employer. Typically the most comprehensive reporting of near-miss cases is carried out in workplaces with high levels of safety culture. In these highly safety oriented workplaces, workers are encouraged to report all near misses, and the management's commitment to safety can be assessed.
The basics (why, when, and how) of gathering information about near misses should be clear to everyone in the workplace. Workers need to understand that the motivating factor is to gather information and not to find who is guilty. Instead, the aim is to learn and prevent further accidents. When workers understand the message that they will not be punished because of the near misses, this usually encourages them to better report the near misses.
The reporting of each near-miss case should include the following main points:
- what happened
- when
- where
- to whom
- influencing factors
- the factors that prevented the incident from occurring
- suggestions about how to prevent similar cases in the future
Learn from close calls/near misses
In order to learn from close calls, the incidents must be reported and investigated.
- Employees need to understand that the purpose of studying near misses is not to punish them or blame them; it is to improve workplace safety and reduce injuries.
- Reporting close calls leads to improvements in work areas and job procedures while allowing the correction of unsafe conditions before an injury occurs.
- Failing to report even a small incident allows hazards to escalate into more serious situations.
Developing a near-miss reporting system
Near misses happen every day in the workplace. Regardless of their potential for personal injury and property damage, all near misses should be taken seriously and consistently reported. Workers should be encouraged to report near misses:
1. Create a policy and procedure that’s communicated to all employees with the backing of senior management.
2. Promote a culture of reporting with the support and help of all managers and supervisors.
3. Educate workers on the reason why near-miss reporting is a necessity, the important role that they play and the process for reporting.
4. Ensure that the near-miss reporting process is easy to understand and use.
5. Continue to communicate the importance of near-miss reporting, encouraging the participation of all employees.
6. Use near-miss reports as a leading indicator and report back to the organization on the positive steps taken to improve workplace safety as a result of such reports.
7. Reinforce with workers that near-miss reporting is always a corrective approach.
8. Consider incentives that encourage reporting and enhance the safety culture.
9. Include training on near-miss reporting for new employees as a part of their orientation.
10. Celebrate the success and value of the near-miss reporting process with all employees.
Near miss, reporting can help to significantly improve occupational safety and to support the “Zero Accidents” philosophy through systematic accident prevention.
Article by Dr.Yashoda Tammineni,
MSc, Ph.D.
HSE,HOD at NIFS
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