Understanding Near Misses: How Can We Help Employees Identify Them Clearly?

Dear All, by definition, it is not clear whether it is an accident or a near miss. I want to clear up the confusion on near misses among the employees in my company. Can anyone provide a pictorial or an exhaustive list of near misses so that people can confidently identify them?

Thanks,
Dilip

I think you mean 'Near Miss'. This is a term used in accident/safety analysis. Any 'At Risk' behavior is a near miss. For example, if somebody crosses a road when the signal is red, then it is a near miss. Similarly, someone crossing a high-tension power line and not meeting with any accident is a near miss. A workman working on a bench grinder without goggles may have a small injury not reportable under the Factories Act, or may not have any injury at all; this is also a near miss.

The near miss is like an 'iceberg' in water. Only 1/3 will be above the water level, which leads to small injury, loss of limb, or fatality, whereas 3/4 that is under the water are near misses. There may be a machine without a guard. Not all may meet with an accident, but one finally meets with a major accident. If you have a machine with double-handed switch operation for the worker's finger protection, it should not be near the 'pinch point' or near the job. When one switch is bypassed, then all operations by the worker are 'near misses'.

Regards,
Babu Alexander

[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Please refer to the post below in this section itself on CiteHR: https://www.citehr.com/266455-near-miss-format.html. I hope this will clear all your doubts regarding Near Miss.

Regards,
Dipil Kumar V

A "near miss" means an event that has not caused any injury or damage but might have caused injury or damage if not controlled in time. The main reason to identify hazards is to avoid major accidents.

Regards,
Nirav Patel
MBA-HR, Post Diploma in Industrial Safety, PG-IR & PM

Here is a simple pictorial explanation of a near miss. 

Thank you.

Regards

The Difference Between an Accident and a Near Miss

Accident - Any unexpected event that happens in an industry that generally leads to an injury (e.g., an employee slips and falls due to oil spillage on the shop floor), loss of man-days due to injury, loss of production due to absenteeism owing to injury, and loss of wages/leave due to the injury of an employee.

Near Miss - Any unexpected event that happens in an industry but does not lead to any injury (e.g., an employee slips due to oil spillage on the shop floor but does not fall). There is no loss of man-days due to injury, and so on.

You need to record both accidents and near misses. If you can identify the root causes of near misses, you can transform your workplace into an accident-free atmosphere.

Conducting a Safety Audit

It is advisable to conduct a safety audit to find potential hazards such as unguarded machinery, sharp corners on tables, blind right-angled turnings without any mirrors to view persons coming from the other end, revolving chairs with defective rollers, unguarded electrical boxes, excessive grass growth on the lawns, etc. The list is endless. By addressing these, even near misses can be eliminated. Preventive action is better than corrective action.

Regards,
M.V. KANNAN

I had a couple of files on this topic that might be interesting.

Regards,
Gopi

Definition of Near Miss

• An accidental collision that is narrowly avoided.
• A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage, but had the potential to do so. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality, or damage.
• Very, very close. Nearly a hit, but a miss nonetheless.
• An event or situation that could have resulted in an accident, injury, or illness, but did not, either by chance or through timely intervention.

It can occur anywhere: at home, at work, on the road, in a plane or bus, while sleeping, doing exercise, or during any other activity.

Hazards and Near Misses in the Workplace

Please attach the example here.

- Wheel chock not in place at the rear wheel of the tractor: Hazards (unsafe acts, unsafe conditions).

- Lift truck is driven into the truck trailer, and the trailer moves: NEAR MISS.

- The driver jumps to the ground and sprains his ankle: injury requiring medical attention.

- The driver jumps to the ground and breaks his leg: Lost time injuries.

- Truck trailer moves, driver jumps to the ground, and the truck rolls over him: serious incident.

Could you please explain the criteria for rewarding near-miss reporting?

Mr. Mahesh Haridas

I give my points of opinion on the example.

Understanding Wheel Chocks

If I am correct, a wheel chock is a wedge of sturdy, durable material used to prevent the accidental movement of a vehicle. If a chock is provided, made available, and user-friendly, and the operator has been well instructed or trained to use it when parking, then it would not amount to an unsafe act. If the chock is not available for the operator to use when needed, then the condition is unsafe. If the chock is too heavy for the operator to lift or is not user-friendly, or if no supervisor or co-workers insist on or follow it as a procedure in the organization, then it would amount to a failure in safety procedures, and the system is responsible.

Analyzing Lift Truck Incidents

"Lift truck is driven into truck trailer and trailer moves" is also, when analyzed, you will be surprised to find that either the lift truck driver is not trained properly or the lift truck braking system is not working properly. Though you may call it a "near miss," it could soon end up as a major incident since this is a procedure and system failure. Checking the tools is not done periodically as per the written procedure.

Driver Safety Concerns

"Driver jumps to the ground and sprains his ankle" may be due to the height or size of the operator. An additional step or supporting structure, if required, should be provided for getting in and out. This can be found out through observation of the procedure. The system is responsible.

In all the above cases, if you go into the details or observation, you will find that the worker or operator cannot be held responsible. As responsible management, it becomes their responsibility to provide a safe procedure, environment, and culture for the safe working of operators and workmen.