Tuesday, January 7, 2014


Near Miss Reporting

 

What is a Near Miss?

 

A Near Miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to do so. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality or damage; in other words, a miss that was nonetheless very near.

A faulty process or management system invariably is the root cause for the increased risk that leads to the near miss and should be the focus of improvement. Other familiar terms for these events are a “close call,” a “narrow escape,” or in the case of moving objects, “near collision” or a “near hit.”

 

How Does Near Miss Reporting Prevent Future Incidents?

 

Many safety activities are reactive and not proactive, and some organizations wait for losses to occur before taking steps to prevent a recurrence. Near miss incidents often precede loss producing events but may be overlooked as there was no harm (no injury, damage or loss).

An organization may not have a reporting culture where employees are encouraged to report these close calls. Thus, many opportunities to prevent the incidents are lost. History has shown repeatedly that most loss producing events (incidents), both serious and catastrophic, were preceded by warnings or near miss incidents. Recognizing and reporting near miss incidents can significantly improve worker safety and enhance an organization’s safety culture.

 

Key Points

 

• Incidents occur every day at the workplace that could result in a serious injury or damage.

• A near-miss program may help prevent future incidents.

• One problem that companies must overcome is employee’s fear of being blamed after reporting a near miss.

• Employers need to make the process of reporting a near miss as easy as possible.

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