Near misses outnumber actual incidents in any workspace, but it is hard to quantify by exactly how much without a solid reporting program in place. According to a 1993 study in Professional Safety, “Near Miss Reporting — a Missing Link in Safety Culture,” there are 189 near miss incidents for every one serious injury, but more recent numbers are hard to find. This makes it difficult to assess how the numbers have trended over the past 22 years.
Regardless of actual statistics, it’s pretty easy to tell that near misses are more common than their realized counterparts. Workers do not want to report their near misses for a number of reasons, but if you improve the strength of your near miss reporting plan it will further reduce the number of serious incidents that actually occur.
Near miss reporting is one of the best ways to improve your safety plan since it requires no additional planning or programs beyond the actual reports. As they report near misses, workers provide data on potential hazards in your workplace and identify risks before any accidents occur. It is a preemptive strategy, giving warning to both management and workers about what actions to avoid so that they do not turn someone else’s near miss into an actual injury or accident.
Engaging your workers about their near misses and educating them on proper reporting strategies is the easiest way to maximize your company’s safety. The sooner you implement a comprehensive near miss reporting program, the sooner you can begin preventing accidents before they happen. Your employees will thank you!
