Near Miss Programs

1

• Near Miss Programs

2
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.

3
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.

4
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

5

• Any unsafe condition
• Events where potential environmental damage could
  result

6
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

7
Three Workplace Disciplines

• A near miss program should address
• three disciplines in the workplace.
• Environmental
• Safety
• Health

8
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.

9
Catalyst To Prevention

• The Near Miss Report is the starting point
• to diminish the probability of an almost
• accident turning into a real one.

10
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.

11
Indicators, cont.

• Therefore, it has been recognized that by
• focusing on minor incidents it is possible to
• reduce the probability of having major
• accidents.

12
Fatalities
Lost Time Cases
Recordables
Near Miss Report
Unsafe Behaviors/Unsafe Acts
The Safety Triangle
13
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.

14
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.

15
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.

16
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.

17
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.

18
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.

19
Step 6

• Solution Identification
• A solution for each identified cause should
• be determined.

20
Step 7

• Dissemination
• Once solutions are identified, the information
• should be communicated to the people who
• will execute the solution.

21
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.

22
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.

23
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

24
Training

• There are two type of training associated
• with a near miss program.
• Administrative for administrators
• Employee

25
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.

26
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

27
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

28
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.

29

• 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

30

• 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

31
Employee Recriminations

• Employees may be reluctant to report near
• misses due to potential recriminations that
• could result.
• Such as

32

• 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

33
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

34
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

35
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.

36
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 everyones part is
  the most important factor in accident prevention

37
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.
• Dont have the attitude that Thats the way we
  have always done it.

38
(No Transcript)
39
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.

40
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.

41
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 ?????

42
Ask Questions

• Dont 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.

43
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

44
Possible Motivations

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

45
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