near miss programs
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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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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