Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Near-Miss Reporting

Procedure for the reporting of near-misses as they occur within the Faculty.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to outline the overall procedure employed by the faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (ECM), for reporting near-misses as they occur. This procedure aims to ensure the:

Prevention of injury and/or reoccurrence of a similar incident; Reporting of data in a consistent manner; Involvement of appropriate personnel; and Differentiation between the 3 reporting methods.

Scope

This procedure applies to all staff and students performing work on campus as part of their employment, studies or research, however a near-miss report may be filled out by anyone that is on campus including visitors and contractors. Whenever an employee, student, contractor, visitor or volunteer is involved in a UWA related near-miss it must be reported. Students, Academic Supervisors, the Faculty Safety Support Team and Heads of School all play a role in this procedure, and their commitment is required for its implementation to be effective.

Definitions

Hazard – an object or situation that has the potential for injury, ill health, damage or other loss.

Near-Miss – A no-loss incident that could have resulted in an injury or illness to people, danger to health and/or damage to property or the environment.

Incident – Any unplanned event that results in loss, including injury, ill health and property/equipment damage.

ECM – Engineering, Computing and Mathematics. Head of School - works in partnership with a School Manager, and together they

are responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the School. Academic Supervisor - the University staff member who supervises the

participant. Volunteer – person assisting in the off campus work under the direction of the

participant.

Introduction

A ‘near-miss’ is an unplanned incident that did not result in injury, illness or damage. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented it from being a loss producing incident. Near-miss reporting, or the lack of it, can be used as an indicator of an organisations safety culture. Research, such as that performed by Heinrich (1931) when he developed his accident triangle (below), has shown that most loss producing events were preceded by warnings or near-misses and that for every major injury/accident there are so many near misses. The exact ratios have been heavily debated, yet usually it is considered that for every major incident there are between 15 and 30 minor injuries and between 300 and 600 no-loss incidents.

Identifying and investigating near-misses are key elements to finding and controlling risks so we can better anticipate the next probable accident and take steps to prevent it. In terms of human lives and property damage, near-misses are cheaper, zero-cost learning opportunities.

Implementing a quick and easy to use near-miss reporting system gives a way of applying controls to unsafe working conditions before major incidents occur. The more near-miss reports filed will give a more accurate representation of where controls need to be placed.

The ‘2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form’ will be set up and available in select labs, workshops and all admin offices comprising the UWA Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics.

The University must exercise a “duty of care” under the WA Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984. All staff should be familiar with the University’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy and the Responsibility and Accountability Policy, in particular, the responsibilities of supervisors and individuals.

Incident ReportingThe Faculty employs a three process incident reporting system. The report form to be submitted is dependent on the nature of the unplanned event. The University requires that all hazards, near-misses and incidents/injuries are reported, investigated and recorded.

1) Hazard Report Form A hazard is a situation or object which presents the potential to harm a person, the environment or cause damage to property. This could involve a piece of machinery, equipment, task, item or chemical substance. We all have a responsibility to identify hazards and if you cannot safely apply reliable control measures you should seek assistance by reporting the hazard to the affected area Supervisor, the local Health and Safety Representative and/or the ECM Safety Support Team.

2) 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form A Near-Miss is a ‘no-loss incident.’ The chain of events that led to the Near-Miss involves a (dormant) hazard, becoming active resulting in an incident that did not produce injury, illness, damage or other tangible loss. Completing a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form should be done as soon as practicable after a near-miss has been identified and controlled/isolated.

3) Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form If the chain of events of dormant hazard to active hazard to incident resulted in injury, illness or property damage then it should be considered as a ‘loss producing incident.’ In the event of such an incident the person(s) involved should seek medical attention as required, inform their supervisor as soon as practicable and apply control measures if appropriate and safe to do so. A Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form or Confidential Needlestick/Sharps Injury or Exposure to Bodily Fluid Report Form must then be completed as soon as practicable.

For urgent assistance following any of these events contact UWA Security on (6488) 2222.

Example.Jenny sees a loose concrete slab on the top step on a pathway. This presents the potential for an incident so is considered a hazard. Unfortunately Jenny did not report the hazard and later that day she sees the loose slab wobble as someone steps on it, leading to them falling. Luckily they were not hurt. As such no loss occurred during this incident so it is defined as a near-miss. They went their separate ways and both filled out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form. However, if the person had of fallen and sprained their ankle, this would have been a loss producing incident (injury) and a Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form would be required.

Incident Reporting Framework

2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form

Red: Was nature/level of risk during no-loss incident great? Did it require work to cease and controls to be put in place?

Yellow: Was it a no-loss incident that did not require work to cease, but caution had to be exercised following the event?

Green: Was it a no-loss incident that was a singular event, and did not require cessation of work?

Description of Events: What work was being performed? What happened that led to the event? How did it occur? What was involved (equipment/plant etc.)? How many people were involved?

Procedure – Following a near-miss/no-loss incident

(If an incident involving injury, illness or damage occurs complete a ‘Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form’. If it’s an emergency call 2222)

Identify and Assess

All staff and students are required to comply with the workplace procedures and to identify and report any hazards, accidents, incidents and other safety concerns. Each individual is responsible for taking reasonably practicable steps to ensure their own safety and personal security. Responsibility exists to identify near-misses as they occur and assess them for the level of risk that they present.

If the no-loss incident is assessed as being a singular unplanned event, which occurred due to a break in a system that would normally constitute safe procedures, and no longer presents a risk, then work may be continued (Green traffic light).

If the chain of events that caused the near-miss still poses a risk then an assessment must be made regarding whether to continue work with caution (Amber) or to cease work entirely and control the risk (Red).

Not to be used in case of emergency. If a serious threat to life or safety exists, call security on 2222 (External: 6488 2222).

Clear the Area / Control any Hazards

Once an assessment has been made, for near-miss incidents deemed as amber or red the person responsible is to ensure that the area has been secured. This could mean removing the hazard in question, by applying controls and/or ceasing the workflow, or by removing people from the vicinity.

Fill out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form

For all near-misses the person(s) involved in or witnessing the incident must as soon as practicable fill out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form, including its corresponding traffic light colour as assessed before. These can be filled out physically on the reporting pads that are located in workshops, labs and at the admins/receptions listed below. They can also be filled in online via the ECM Health and Safety website. The reports must be detailed and accurate.

Submit

If completing a physical form, it must be submitted either to a supervisor, or to one of the following Near-Miss Submission Locations.

Building 222 – Environmental Systems Engineeringo ECM Safety Support Team office, Room 208o Environmental Systems Engineering Building Admin, Room 111

Building 223 – Mathematicso Monadelphous Integrated Learning Centre Unit Support Office, Room 163o Mathematics 1st Floor Reception, Room 126

Building 224 – Civil and Mechanical Engineeringo Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering Admin, Room 114o Mechanical and Chemical Engineering Admin, Room 201

Building 226 – Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineeringo Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering Admin, Room 152

Building 241 – Computer Science and Software Engineeringo Computer Science and Software Engineering Admin, Room 131

If they are filled out online, persons filling out the form need only submit them via the ECM Health and Safety website.

Collection

Once a reception area receives a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form the employee present is to, as soon as practicable, email the ECM Safety Support Team at safety-ecm@uwa.edu.au.

Filing and Investigation

Once collected, the details of the 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Forms will be uploaded by the ECM Safety Support Team as an online submission. The forms will be kept as paper copies.

The ECM Safety Support Team will at this point pursue any necessary investigations.

Faculty of Engineering Computing and Mathematics

The University of Western AustraliaM000, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009 Tel +61 8 6488 6945Fax +61 8 6488 6945Email safety-ecm@uwa.edu.auWeb http://www.ecm.uwa.edu.au/staff/safety

CRICOS Provider Code: 00126G