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 improve

safety, health and environmental concerns
of an operation based on a condition or an
incident with potential for more serious
consequences.

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 address

three disciplines in the workplace.

1) Environmental
2) Safety
3) Health
 Primary Vehicle

The primary vehicle used to accomplish

this program is the Near Miss Report.
In concept, the Near Miss Report is used
to learn from situations where an accident
“almost” happened so that real injuries
can 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 every
major accident there are several preceding
minor accidents with limited impact and near
miss incidents with little or no significant
damage.
 Indicators, cont.

Therefore, it has been recognized that by

focusing on minor incidents it is possible to
reduce the probability of having major
accidents.
 Fatalities
Lost
Time Cases

Recordables

Near Miss Report

Unsafe Behaviors/Unsafe Acts

The “Safety Triangle”

 Eight Steps

There are eight steps to an effective near

miss program. To get the full benefit from a
near miss program, it is important to follow
these steps and complete them to the
fullest extent.
 Step 1

Identification

The individual must recognize an incident

or condition as a “near miss.”
There must be a clear definition of what a
near miss is within your organization.
 Step 2

Disclosure

Once a near miss is identified, it must be

disclosed, preferably in writing. Having a
simple procedure for reporting will encourage
this process. Having easy access to forms is
a key component to encouraging
participation.
 Step 3

Prioritize

Once an incident has been reported it

must be prioritized. This very critical step
determines the path forward as to what
level of attention is needed. This should be
reviewed by management to help determine
the risk.
 Step 4

Distribution

Distribute the near miss information to the

people that can help properly analyze the
cause of the incident. Ask for their
immediate feed back.
 Step 5

Identification of Causes

Both direct and root-causes should be

determined. It could be a behavior based or
training based cause or other. Look at all
possible 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 the

implementers are informed, it is important to
track all suggested changes to ensure that
they 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 administrators

2) Employee
 Administrative Training

For the administrators, subjects should

include the guidelines at which the program
will function e.g., prioritizing, tracking and
responsibilities. It is suggested that your
near miss program be outlined on paper.
 Employee Training

The objectives of employee training are

focused 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 indicators
of accident potential. By having a
comprehensive near miss system, where
near misses are not only recognized but also
resolved properly, a facility can expect to
both reduce the number of accidents and
improve the quality and productivity of its
operations.
A well-designed and managed near miss
program is one of the best proactive
protection systems you can have in your
facility. 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 in
employees thinking that the near miss
program 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 to
document the first mention of an injury by
an associate. It should be used the first
time an associate mentions that he/she is
hurting. Even if it is mentioned to you in
casual conversation. This is different from a
first report of injury.
 Purpose

The Near Hit form is used to protect the

company from liability if in the future the
associate claims workers compensation or
brings a law suit against the company.
 Importance

The Near Hit form should be filled out with

accurate information and as much possible
and given to Mike McQueen. A follow up
Email with additional or more complete information
if 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. Ask
the associate questions concerning the
injury. Act as a detective –
Are you sure you hurt yourself at work?
Have you ever injured this part of your body
before?
You may be surprised and what you can
learn 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 will
eventually 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 a

possible injury and you determine that
medical attention is not necessary at this
time, it is in YOUR best interest:

 Move (rotate) the associate

 Ask Management to perform an assessment