From: Jeff Tenney <Jeff.Tenney**At_Symbol_Here**SDMYERS.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] near-miss reporting form
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2016 23:41:52 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: B08465628BB05D4E9F4CD5F74ACA8F1F5D360463**At_Symbol_Here**SDMMAIL2.sdmyers.net
In-Reply-To <011301d14eee$9c246970$d46d3c50$**At_Symbol_Here**chemical-safety.com>


As for reporting a near-miss we use our standard accident report. This way the incident will be investigated and followed up on.

We have struggled/struggle with defining a near-miss. We had a safety office that defined a near miss as anything that could have caused an injury if a slight change in time or position could have caused an injury. This led to water being on the floor being considered a reportable near-miss. Then comments like if I walk across the wet parking lot I could slip so is that near-miss? What if the glass bottle am holding breaks, is that a near-miss even though am wearing cut resistant gloves? How do I walk across an icy parking lot and not report it as a near-miss. I prefer to use a variation of Jay Young's laws of safety.

The first law of safety states: To occur, an accident requires that at least two mistakes occur simultaneously, or almost simultaneously, at the same location.

Corollary to the first law: If the required mistakes are not confluent in time and space, one has either had a "close call" or a "nonevent."

The second law of safety: All accidents prophecy; like other coming events they cast their shadows before them.

Corollary to the second law: The prophecy that an accident will happen appears in the form of a close call or a nonevent

A mistake is something that should not be expected. Snow in the wintertime is expected. Water on the floor of the lobby is not "nonevent". We need a second event (mistake) to also occur. Someone needs to walk through the water in the lobby. They may not slip but the possibility is there, near-miss. If the water is removed or signage is put into place to prevent someone from walking through it then the water on the floor is not a near-miss. I am not someone who feels rewarding for reporting is a good thing or mandatory reporting. In the cause for rewarding for accident free, this tends to led to hiding a near-miss or accident due to pressure of the group to have a clean record. I feel the most affective safety program is one where fellow employees mentor and address concerns. In my previous life I would talk to everyone in the group if I saw or had to discipline one person for a safety violation. I tried to use peer pressure for good. Safety Isn't Easy and I could use as much!
help as I could get to make sure everyone made it home the way they arrived.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of NEAL LANGERMAN
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2016 12:11 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] near-miss reporting form

I would like to see some real world feedback; it is MUCH longer than the near-miss reports I see in industry Neal

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2016 6:01 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] near-miss reporting form

> I had heard about but never seen this form. Do you mind if I forward
> to
my EHS people?
>
Yes; I consider it still in beta form, as we haven't had much feedback about how it works in the real world. Any lessons that people learn while using it would be appreciated.
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.surveymonkey.com_r_
chas-5Fll-5Fbeta&d=BQIFAg&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=me
WM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=33VwbpjXOJbDscpAn2kvM4WzcY2t_1Dr
9DEEW38c9mk&s=0iNYpcOuKaFZbJ2BLMEAJ8nNz6I9dfA6br2xC7yV1_0&e=

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society

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