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| Alter the Future with Near–Miss Reporting |
Wouldn’t it be great to have some sort of system in place to stop workplace injuries, fatalities and equipment damage situations before they occurred?
If your company adopted a simple, proven way to create a near-miss (close call) reporting culture, it would move a long way toward achieving that goal, according to certified safety professional Robert Ryan, president of Safety Metrics Inc. in Wilmington, DE.
Ryan says a near-miss reporting culture in place:
- Enables companies to pro-actively resolve hazards before a tragic or costly incident occurs.
- Engages the workforce (all workers at all levels) in solving problems.
- Increases safety ownership and reinforces workers’ self-esteem.
- Exposes valuable information that otherwise might not be discussed.
- Develops a positive and necessary attitude surrounding safety.
According to Ryan, there are basically four steps toward creating a near-miss reporting culture.
Step One: Answer the question: Why report near misses? And make sure everyone receives the same answer: A near miss incident is an opportunity to identify and fix problems before they do actual damage.
Step Two: Create a “willingness to participate” environment. Ensure that workers are not fearful of reporting near misses and that there is accountability at all levels.
Step Three: Make it easy for workers to report near misses by creating clear written guidelines.
Step Four: Measure your near-miss reporting program and fine-tune it as necessary.
A near-miss reporting system is like a giant brake that stops time, lets everyone take a step back from a dangerous situation and ensures that the hazard is fixed before the brake is released and work proceeds. The trick is that workers need to recognize when the “safety train” is about to derail and pull the brake before a near-miss turns into a serious injury or fatality.
Need help creating a near-miss reporting culture? SafetySmart has a number of tools, including posters, puzzles, clip art, articles for your company newsletters and safety talks, such as this one, that you can use to train and encourage your workers to report close calls.
Need access to additional resources on this topic? Try SafetySmart today and get immediate access to safety talks, presentations and more. Sign up for a free 14-day trial now. |
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| One glance at this photograph is enough to get one’s adrenalin pumping. Amazingly, this worker’s body language suggests he isn’t too concerned about the precarious situation he has created for himself. (Photo source unknown) |
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| Why Your OHS and Wellness Programs Should Work Together |
In most workplaces, the OHS program operates independently of the wellness program—if the company even has a wellness program. Typically, a safety coordinator runs the OHS program while the HR director oversees the wellness program and there’s little, if any, coordination between the two.
Read more on this topic at OHS Insider.com.
(Note: subscription is required; to get instant access , simply sign up for a No-Obligation Trial of OHSInsider.com. Sign up now and you will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad!)
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| Health and Wellness Program at UK University Paying Off |
One of England’s largest universities says it is saving the equivalent of about $116,000 a year since implementing a comprehensive workplace wellness program two years ago.
Leeds Metropolitan University says stress-related work absence has dropped by 16 percent and its accident incident rate currently stands at 64.7 per 100,000 employees, compared to the average rate of 325 per 100,000 for the sector.
The wellness program initiated by John Hamilton, head of safety, health and wellbeing at the university, came in response to high staff absenteeism and allegations of harassment.
Hamilton, a member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), worked with a team at the university to set up a self-help website that initially covered more than 75 wellness-related topics, including stress, fitness and coping with money worries and grief. The website now covers more than 200 areas of advice, support and guidance.
The university has also presented dozens of wellness events, ranging from health checks to exercise classes, stress-management workshops and self-help sessions.
“The most important thing about the program is the staff feels that the university cares about them and their wellbeing,” he says. “It’s a great atmosphere to work in and because of that, motivation and productivity have improved and absence levels are down, proving that a happy workforce is a successful one.”
According to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the wellness program at the 30,000-student university is serving as a model for other organizations.
IOSH says the university “has gone through a culture change, cutting lost-time and absenteeism, while making a saving that, for other businesses, could be the difference between survival and failure—crucial in the current economic climate.”
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Related story: Stress on the Job Leads to Fat on the Body
(Note: Subscription is required. To get instant access, simply sign up for a No-Cost Trial of Safe Supervisor.)
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| Due Diligence: Defining, Establishing & Demonstrating Your Record of Compliance |
Oct 24th & 25th
Hyatt Regency,
Toronto, ON |
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