Near miss

A near miss is a situation in which an incident could have occurred, but was avoided due to preventive action or luck. It is an event or incident that had the potential to cause harm, but did not. Near misses can be both positive and negative, and can occur in any situation or environment.

Near misses can be important indicators of potential safety issues, and should be taken seriously. By understanding the underlying causes of near misses, organizations can develop strategies to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Example of Near miss

Examples of near misses include:

• An individual crossing a busy street without looking both ways, but being narrowly missed by an oncoming vehicle.
• An employee completing a task without the proper safety equipment, but succeeding without incident.
• A fire alarm being accidentally set off, but no fire taking place.

A near miss example would be an employee in a manufacturing plant who is using a piece of equipment without the proper safety equipment. Despite the lack of safety measures, the employee is able to complete the task without any harm coming to themselves or the equipment.

Although the employee was lucky in this situation, the incident is important to note as it indicates that the workplace is not following proper safety procedures. By recognizing and addressing the underlying cause of the near miss, the organization can prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

When near miss happens

Near miss can be used to help identify and mitigate risk in any situation or environment. It is especially useful in hazardous industries, such as construction and manufacturing, where safety is of paramount importance. By recognizing when a near miss has occurred and analyzing its causes, organizations can develop strategies to reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future. Additionally, near miss can help identify when existing safety protocols and procedures are not being followed.

Types of Near miss

There are several different types of near miss that can occur in any organization. These include:

• Ergonomic near miss: A close call related to the design of tools, equipment, or workspaces.
• Process near miss: A potential incident that is prevented due to a well-designed process or procedure.
• Mechanical near miss: An incident that is avoided due to the proper maintenance of equipment.
• Human factor near miss: A potential incident that is avoided due to quick thinking or action by a person.

Near misses can reveal underlying issues with safety protocols, equipment, or processes. By paying attention to near misses and addressing their underlying causes, organizations can help prevent more serious incidents in the future.

Steps of Near miss

Near miss management involves a four-step process to document and address near miss incidents:

• Investigate: The first step is to investigate the incident. This involves looking into what happened, why it happened, and who was involved.
• Analyze: After the investigation, the near miss should be analyzed in order to identify any underlying causes.
• Take Action: Based on the analysis, the organization should take action to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. This may involve implementing new procedures, training staff, or purchasing new equipment.
• Monitor: Finally, it is important to monitor any changes that were put in place to ensure that they are effective.

Advantages of Near miss

There are several advantages to tracking and addressing near misses. Some of the most important benefits include:

• Identifying potentially hazardous conditions: Near misses can provide insight into the potential risks in a given situation. By tracking near misses, organizations can identify and eliminate hazardous conditions before an incident occurs.
• Improving safety performance: By addressing and resolving near misses, organizations can improve their overall safety performance.
• Reducing the cost of incidents: By preventing near misses from becoming incidents, organizations can reduce the costs associated with potential safety issues.

Limitations of Near miss

Despite the potential value of near misses, there are some limitations to be aware of:

• Near misses may not always be reported. Employees may fail to report near misses due to fear of reprimand or because they are unaware of the potential consequences.
• Near misses may not be accurately perceived. Individuals may not always be able to accurately assess the potential danger of a near miss, or may not have enough information to determine the root cause.
• Near misses can be difficult to analyze. Organizations may have difficulty collecting and analyzing data related to near misses, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions.

Other approaches related to Near miss

The Near Miss concept can be used in conjunction with other approaches to identify and address safety issues. These include:

• Root Cause Analysis: This approach involves analyzing the underlying causes of an incident in order to identify areas of improvement.
• The 5-Why Analysis: This approach is used to identify the root cause of an incident by asking "Why?" five times.
• SWOT Analysis: This approach involves analyzing an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in order to identify potential areas of improvement.

By combining the Near Miss concept with other techniques, organizations can more effectively identify and address safety issues.

Near misses are an important tool for identifying potential safety issues and should be taken seriously. By understanding the underlying causes of near misses and combining the Near Miss concept with other approaches, organizations can develop strategies to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Near miss — recommended articles

Hazard analysis — Learning from experience — Reduction of risk — Problem solving tools — Inherent risk — COSHH assessment — Risk treatment plan — Reduction of uncertainty — Maintenance strategy

References

• Reid, R. L. (1986). The psychology of the near miss. Journal of gambling behavior, 2(1), 32-39.
• Nashef, S. A. (2003). What is a near miss?. The lancet, 361(9352), 180-181.