The Accident Pyramid theory proposes that for every 600 near misses, there are typically 30 property losses, 10 lost time accidents, and one major accident. One effective method for maintaining a safe work environment is to implement a comprehensive near-miss reporting system. By encouraging employees to report near misses, organizations gain valuable insights into potential hazards and can proactively address them before they escalate into accidents.

A near miss refers to an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage—but had the potential to do so. While the consequences may be avoided in the moment, near misses are critical warning signs that should never be ignored.

This blog will delve into the significance of near-miss reporting in the manufacturing industry, exploring its benefits and how it can transform workplace safety practices. When embedded into daily management routines—such as team huddles, Gemba walks, and shift handovers—near-miss reporting becomes a powerful tool for proactively identifying risks, reinforcing a culture of safety, and enabling continuous improvement. We’ll also explore effective strategies to improve near-miss reporting through technology, ensuring that insights are captured, communicated, and acted upon in real time as part of daily operational excellence.

The Importance of Near-Miss Reporting

Here are some key aspects of near-miss reporting that contribute to safety improvement:

Engaging Workers in a Culture of Safety: Involving employees in the near-miss reporting process empowers them to participate in safety initiatives actively. When employees are encouraged to report near misses, they become more aware of their surroundings and potential hazards, leading to a stronger safety culture. By recognizing and rewarding near-miss reporting, organizations reinforce the importance of employee engagement and create a sense of ownership regarding safety.
Early Identification and Resolution of Hazards: By capturing information about near misses, organizations can identify patterns or trends that may indicate underlying safety issues. This early identification enables proactive measures to be taken to mitigate risks and prevent future incidents.
Root Cause Analysis: Near-miss reports provide an opportunity for in-depth investigation into the root causes of incidents. Safety professionals can identify underlying factors such as equipment malfunctions, process deficiencies, or human error by analyzing the circumstances surrounding a near miss. Understanding the root causes helps organizations implement targeted corrective actions to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of similar incidents.
Continuous Improvement: Near-miss reporting fosters a culture of continuous improvement within the organization. Organizations can consistently report and address near misses, implement preventive measures, refine safety protocols, and enhance overall safety performance.
Learning Opportunities: Near-miss reports provide valuable learning opportunities for employees and safety teams. By sharing near-miss incidents across the organization, employees can learn from the experiences of others, raising awareness of potential hazards and promoting safer work practices. Safety professionals can use these reports to develop targeted training programs or reminders to address common issues and reinforce safe behaviours.

What a Near-Miss Report Should Include

Now that we dove into the importance of near-miss reports, what should they include exactly? Besides the date, time and location of the near-miss event, here are other essential components to include in your report:

Type of Event: Clearly state the type of event or incident that occurred. Whether it was a machinery malfunction, a slip or trip hazard, a chemical spill, or any other near-miss situation, provide a concise description to categorize the event accurately.
Description of Near-Miss: Provide a detailed account of what happened during the near-miss incident. Describe the sequence of events, the people involved, and the factors contributing to the near-miss.
Why it is a Near-Miss: Clearly explain why the event is considered a near-miss. Identify the potential consequences that could have resulted if the incident had escalated or had not been averted in time. Emphasize the significance of the near-miss regarding the potential risk to safety, health, environment, or equipment.
Actions Taken to Fix the Near-Miss: Describe the immediate actions that were taken to address the near-miss and prevent any further harm. This may involve isolating the area, shutting down equipment, initiating emergency protocols, or providing necessary medical attention. Document the specific steps taken to mitigate the immediate risk and ensure the safety of all personnel involved.
Work Order or Task Assignment: If applicable, include the work order or task assignment related to the near-miss incident. This information helps track the follow-up actions and ensures that the necessary repairs, inspections, or maintenance activities are carried out promptly. Include any relevant reference numbers or identification codes for easy reference.

Challenges With Traditional Near-Miss Reporting

Traditional near-miss reporting in manufacturing faces several challenges that hinder its effectiveness. One of the main difficulties is underreporting. Due to a variety of reasons, such as fear of retribution or a lack of awareness about the importance of reporting near-misses, many incidents go unreported. This prevents valuable insights from being captured and addressed, leading to missed opportunities for improvement.

Another challenge is the lack of standardized reporting procedures. In any organization, the format and content of near-miss reports can vary significantly, making it difficult to analyze and compare incidents across different departments or locations. This inconsistency makes it challenging to identify common trends or root causes and implement proactive measures to prevent future incidents.

Additionally, the time-consuming nature of traditional reporting methods can be a barrier. Paper-based or manual reporting processes often require extra effort to find the correct form, excessive paperwork, documentation, and manual data entry. This can lead to delays in reporting, resulting in lost or incomplete information.

Lastly, there may be a lack of visibility and communication surrounding near-miss reports. If the reporting system is not well integrated or easily accessible, relevant stakeholders may not be aware of reported incidents, impeding timely actions and corrective measures.

How Connected Worker Apps Can Help Improve Near-Miss Reporting

Connected Worker apps like Poka offer significant advantages in overcoming challenges associated with traditional near-miss reporting in manufacturing. These digital tools provide a comprehensive solution that overcomes the limitations of manual reporting methods and enhances the effectiveness of near-miss reporting processes.

Streamlined Reporting: Connected Worker apps like Poka enable workers to quickly and easily report near-misses using digital forms on tablets directly on the shop floor. The app provides intuitive near-miss reporting templates with required fields, ensuring users include the necessary information, such as the type of event, a description of the near-miss, and why it is considered a near-miss. This streamlined process encourages higher reporting rates and ensures incidents are automatically documented. Digital near-miss forms can also be made available to everyone in the factory via a QR code. This convenience and reassurance that a worker is accessing the right form in a matter of seconds reduces barriers to filling out a near-miss.

Multimedia Documentation: Workers can attach multimedia elements such as photos and videos to their reports, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the near-miss event. This rich media documentation improves the accuracy and clarity of the report, enabling better analysis and decision-making for implementing appropriate preventive measures.
Increased Accountability: Employees become responsible for investigating near-misses, fostering a culture of accountability. The Issues Management feature provides transparency regarding the status of investigations. Having a centralized task center for assigning, managing and tracking follow-on actions promotes a sense of ownership and timely resolution.
Improved Communication and Visibility: Providing a centralized platform where near-miss reports are instantly accessible to relevant stakeholders, including supervisors, safety managers, and maintenance teams. Real-time notifications and alerts ensure that incidents are promptly addressed, facilitating quicker response times and timely corrective actions to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
Poka Analytics: Poka Analytics offers a versatile range of capabilities, allowing users to slice and dice the near-miss form data in any way they desire. Users can extract valuable insights by exploring different types of near misses, identifying the locations where these incidents occur most frequently, or even diving into specific line-level details. By creating custom dashboards that display comprehensive information, organizations gain a proactive edge in addressing risks and implementing targeted safety measures. This data-driven approach enables businesses to foster a safer work environment and prevent potential accidents, all based on the in-depth analysis of near-miss trends and patterns.

How Soprema Improved Near-Miss Reporting With Poka

At Soprema, safety in the workplace encompasses various aspects, including regular inspections and effective reporting of near misses. They have implemented an effective Accident and Incident Reporting system to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees. By affixing QR codes to employee access cards, staff have immediate access to report any near misses, accidents, injuries, or property damage they witness or experience. With a simple scan using their mobile devices equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, employees can report information anytime, creating a continuous stream of real-time data available 24/7.

Soprema utilizes digital forms on the Poka platform and a Business Intelligence (BI) tool to streamline the reporting process. This implementation has resulted in an estimated increase in reporting efficiency of over 20% for near misses. Previously, gathering all the necessary information about an incident could take up to two or three days, but with Poka, it now takes just under an hour.

Using Poka has fostered higher employee engagement in Soprema's safety reporting system and overall safety policy. Employees are empowered to participate actively in the solution, as they understand that the system's success relies on their contributions. By involving employees and providing them with the necessary tools, Soprema has transformed them from merely part of the issue to integral parts of the solution.

“Safety is not managing accidents, it’s anticipating them [...] All the strategy of anticipating the injuries is based on the near misses.”

Florent Bellini, Plant Manager, Soprema

Conclusion

In conclusion, near-miss reporting is critical to maintaining a safe work environment in the manufacturing industry. By encouraging employees to report near misses, organizations can engage the workforce, identify hazards early, conduct root cause analysis, drive continuous improvement, and enhance the overall safety culture. However, traditional near-miss reporting methods face challenges such as underreporting, lack of standardization, time-consuming processes, and limited visibility. Connected Worker apps like Poka offer solutions to overcome these limitations by enabling real-time reporting, improving visibility and communication, providing multimedia documentation, and offering advanced analytics.

If you want to learn more about how Poka’s digital forms can help you improve your near-miss reporting and keep your workers safe, reach out to one of our dedicated experts today!

Enhancing Workplace Safety: The Power of Near-Miss Reporting in Manufacturing