Near Miss Programs

What Is a Near Miss Program

A Near Miss Program can be defined as

an administrative tool to help reduce accidents and injuries in the

workplace.

What Is A Near Miss?

A Near Miss is an opportunity to improvesafety, health and environmental

concerns of an operation based on a condition or anincident with potential for more seriousconsequences.

Note: Security can also be a potential area of concern.

Other Definitions/Conditions

Unsafe behavior Minor accidents/injuries that had

potential to be more serious Events where injury could have

occurred but did not Events where property damage results Events where a safety barrier is

challenged

Any unsafe condition Events where potential

environmental damage could result

Objectives of a Near Miss Program

Identify risks and prevent future accidents

Fix problems as they are identified Make everyone an advocate of

safety Increase safety awareness

Three Workplace Disciplines

A near miss program should addressthree disciplines in the workplace.

1) Environmental2) Safety3) Health

Primary Vehicle

The primary vehicle used to accomplishthis program is the Near Miss Report.In concept, the Near Miss Report is usedto learn from situations where an accident“almost” happened so that real injuriescan be prevented.

Catalyst To Prevention

The Near Miss Report is the starting point

to diminish the probability of an “almost”

accident turning into a real one.

Indicators

Research and investigation of major accidents

adds new data and shows that for everymajor accident there are several precedingminor accidents with limited impact and

nearmiss incidents with little or no significantdamage.

Indicators, cont.

Therefore, it has been recognized that by

focusing on minor incidents it is possible to

reduce the probability of having majoraccidents.

Unsafe Behaviors/Unsafe Acts

Fatalities

Lost Time Cases

Recordables

Near Miss Report

The “Safety Triangle”

Eight Steps

There are eight steps to an effective nearmiss program. To get the full benefit from

anear miss program, it is important to

followthese steps and complete them to thefullest extent.

Step 1

Identification

The individual must recognize an incident

or condition as a “near miss.”There must be a clear definition of what

anear miss is within your organization.

Step 2

Disclosure

Once a near miss is identified, it must bedisclosed, preferably in writing. Having asimple procedure for reporting will

encouragethis process. Having easy access to forms isa key component to encouragingparticipation.

Step 3

Prioritize

Once an incident has been reported it must be prioritized. This very critical stepdetermines the path forward as to whatlevel of attention is needed. This should bereviewed by management to help determinethe risk.

Step 4

Distribution

Distribute the near miss information to the

people that can help properly analyze the

cause of the incident. Ask for theirimmediate feed back.

Step 5

Identification of Causes

Both direct and root-causes should bedetermined. It could be a behavior

based ortraining based cause or other. Look at

allpossible aspects of causes.

Step 6

Solution Identification

A solution for each identified cause should

be determined.

Step 7

Dissemination

Once solutions are identified, the information

should be communicated to the people who

will execute the solution.

Step 8

Resolution (Tracking)

Once solutions are identified and theimplementers are informed, it is

important totrack all suggested changes to ensure

thatthey are properly executed.

Options Of Implementation

There are several ways to ensure your near

miss program is executed and maintained.

Near Miss Management Team – Comprised of a diverse team of

employees, managers, supervisors and workers.

Options, cont.

Safety Committee – Your safety committee can

implement and manage your near miss program.

Single Person – You can designate a single person

responsible to manage the program

Training

There are two type of training associated

with a near miss program.

1) Administrative – for administrators2) Employee

Administrative Training

For the administrators, subjects shouldinclude the guidelines at which the programwill function e.g., prioritizing, tracking andresponsibilities. It is suggested that your near miss program be outlined on paper.

Employee Training

The objectives of employee training arefocused on actual use of the system.

This type of training must include, but not

limited to the following:

Employee Training, cont.

What are near misses Why are near misses important and how they can

help What is the role of each person in near miss

reporting How will near misses be managed and by who What is the near miss process (eight steps) How do you report a near miss How would you prioritize a near miss Where to find near miss reporting forms

Accident Potential

Near misses are the best leading indicatorsof accident potential. By having acomprehensive near miss system, wherenear misses are not only recognized but

alsoresolved properly, a facility can expect toboth reduce the number of accidents andimprove the quality and productivity of itsoperations.

A well-designed and managed near miss

program is one of the best proactiveprotection systems you can have in

yourfacility. It will accomplish the

following:

Empowers employees Enables observation and resolution

of issues in a timely manner Reflects up-to-date information Brings out new sources of problems

to managements attention Provides an invisible control over all

operations at every single stage of a plants life

Employee Recriminations

Employees may be reluctant to report near

misses due to potential recriminations that

could result.

Such as:

Peer pressure Disciplinary action Unintended disciplinary action. For

example, upon incident investigation, additional job tasks or wearing cumbersome PPE may be perceived as punishment for reporting

Human Nature and Near Miss Reporting

Resistance to reporting near misses can occur for a number of reasons:

People do not want to be blamed for problems

Perception that you are “rocking the boat” or a trouble maker

Concern that a near miss will result in more work

Ways To Address Negatives

Stay Positive – View near miss reports as opportunities to prevent accidents rather than to place blame.

Reward employees with incentives Option to remain anonymously Involve employees in the investigation

A Word Of Caution

Failure of management to remain committed

to near miss programs can in turn decrease

employee reporting and can result inemployees thinking that the near missprogram is a “flavor of the month.”

Final Tips

A near miss in the workplace is a warning or indication that something is wrong

Close calls or near misses on the job should be corrected immediately

Constant safety awareness on everyone’s part is the most important factor in accident prevention

Final Tips, cont.

If you witness or are involved with a near miss incident, stop and correct the problem or notify the appropriate people immediately

Do not just shrug-off a near miss. Stop what you are doing and report it.

Don’t have the attitude that “That’s the way we have always done it.”

Near Hit Reporting

A Near Hit Report is an internal administrative form used by Supervision todocument the first mention of an injury byan associate. It should be used the firsttime an associate mentions that he/she ishurting. Even if it is mentioned to you incasual conversation. This is different from afirst report of injury.

Purpose

The Near Hit form is used to protect thecompany from liability if in the future

theassociate claims workers compensation

orbrings a law suit against the company.

Importance

The Near Hit form should be filled out with accurate information and as much possibleand given to Mike McQueen. A follow upEmail with additional or more complete

informationif necessary should be sent to Mike McQueen

e.g., I slipped down over the weekend and my back hurts ?????

Ask Questions

Don’t take the complaint at face value. Askthe associate questions concerning theinjury. Act as a detective – Are you sure you hurt yourself at work?Have you ever injured this part of your

bodybefore? You may be surprised and what you canlearn with a few simple questions.

Cost

The average workers compensation claims

runs an eight year average. That means if it

cost $1000.00 when it happens, it willeventually cost the company $8000.00

Possible Motivations

Lay off Desire not to work Termination due to behavior Doesn’t like the particular job Has a personal agenda Do not have medical insurance Just wants time off Actual pain or injury

How You Can Help

If an Associate complains of pain or apossible injury and you determine thatmedical attention is not necessary at thistime, it is in YOUR best interest:

Move (rotate) the associate Ask Management to perform an

assessment