What is the correct definition of "near miss" ?
Every month our supervisors have to report on "near misses", but there is a lot of
disagreement regarding what really is a near miss (and not just a proximate lass).

Dear "Close Girl"

OSHA doesn't really get into explaining the definition of near miss. But insurance company and safety experts mostly agree on one thing: that just because on one got hurt,  the concept of  "no-harm, no-foul" does not apply.  Instead, the thinking is that near misses represent a serious problem - and an opportunity.  A problem that they were allowed to happen, but an opportunity to learn from them and address the underlying problems.

 Still, I havent helped you with a definition.  How about this one - an incident that could have resulted in personal injury, death, or property damage - but didn'.?

I agree

Any incident that may have resulted in an injury, death, pollution, damaged equipment. Most useful are the near misses that happen all the time but are not reported. 

Near Miss - a incident that if left unprevented could cause a injury, illness or threat to the environment.

 this is part of a presentation I give to the associates at our facility.

• •A near miss is a close call.  It’s an accident that almost happened but didn’t result in an injury or property loss.
• •Under different circumstances, could have resulted in harm to people, climate to property, materials or the environment.
• •They happen everywhere!!!

Here is the definition of a near miss in the OSHA factsheet on accident/incident investigation:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/safetyhealth/mod4_factsheets_accinvest.html

NEAR MISS - Near misses describe incidents where no property was damaged and no personal injury sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage and/or injury easily could have occurred.

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vc

Here's a definition I found in a paper once that tend to use in association with my near miss reporting program.

 

An opportunity to improve a safety, health or environmental practice based on a condition or incident with potential for a more serious consequence

 

This definition came frome a paper :Phimister et al  Near Miss Management Systems in the Chemical Process Industry

Near miss is defined as an event that could have caused a serious injury or illness, but didn't.  For example; Someone spills coffee or water on the floor and does not clean it up.  Someone slips but is not injured.

Forklift driver takes a corner toosharply.  The load of boxes falls which almost hitsa nearby worker.

 

 

Good Morning:    11-02-2007    This is a repeat of another posting I made.

The Bottom line is your near misses!!!  Which is Based on peoples Behavior and habits.

If you can get your supervisors to report all near misses than you can Gage your training programs around that…The OSHA People loves this almost never used program. Believe me it works!

Start today!!   Your can change this very needed approached to 100% no day lost and no injuries.

 

Note:

I use BLR’s Material in my safety programs , they keep me up todate.

Regards,

Regards,

 

John Gavin Ret Military

Safety Professional (OSHA) Trainer

A Safety Resource in Training

Jgavin_99@Yahoo.com

Barnardd:

 this is part of a presentation I give to the associates at our facility.

• •A near miss is a close call.  It’s an accident that almost happened but didn’t result in an injury or property loss.
• •Under different circumstances, could have resulted in harm to people, climate to property, materials or the environment.
• •They happen everywhere!!!

Hey,  where I work at we changed the words to reflect the true statement

Changed

"Near Miss" to "Near Hit"

Reason why ,  near miss kinda states that you got hit!

also changed "Accident"  to "incidents"

An accident at work is defined as an external, sudden, unexpected, unintended, and violent event, during the execution of work or arising out of it, which causes damage to the health of or loss of the life of the employee (the insured).

For qualification as an accident at work to apply, there must be a causal relationship (direct or indirect relationship of cause and effect) between the violent event and the work. Only if the accident is due to "wilful misrepresentation" on the part of the employer or the employer's appointed representative is the employer under an obligation to compensate the victim. Under U.S. law, injured workers are often compensated according to the type of injury, rather than permitting them to sue the employer for the actual damages.

Incident is completely preventable

 

Tony

Where we work, a lot of our "near misses" are not true near misses at all.  There are some that are near misses, but what we have started to do is to look at a lot of the items that are entered as near misses and calling them good catches.  For example:  A near miss is entered in reported as a hose laying at the base of a ladder.  I would considered that a good catch.  If I was coming down the ladder and stepped on the hose and almost fell as a result, I would consider that a near miss. 

A true near miss is exactly what was quoted before that if given a slight shift in position or change in condition an injury would have resulted.  In the hose at the base of the ladder, if I stepped an inch further in one direction, I could have lost my balance and fell, but because I didn't fall, it is considered a near miss.