In the world of environmental health and safety, you’re probably already well versed in reporting incidents. But what about all the would-be accidents that resulted in nothing more than a close call?

Reporting near misses can provide as much insight and beneficial information to your EHS operations as real incidents.

3 Things You Stand to Gain from Reporting Near Misses

Heightened Awareness

Employees who encounter near misses on the job should recognize that the situation could have been much worse. The widespread of awareness of these close calls can put safety at the top of everyone’s minds to watch out for potential hazards.

Improvement Opportunities

Understanding potential threats that could (but haven’t yet) caused problems gives your department an opportunity to address those issues before they become catastrophic.

Employee Engagement

Implementing a successful near miss strategy can’t be accomplished through management alone. Rather, it largely depends on employee involvement to watch for possible issues and take part in eliminating them. Making near misses as important as actual incidents can initiate more engagement from each employee and keep safety a top priority.

How to Implement a Near Miss Reporting Strategy

If you haven’t yet made near miss reporting a standard in your EHS operation, the way you implement it can determine its ultimate success or failure. Here are a few steps you’ll need to take:

Give your employees a heads up

Before you push a new responsibility on employees, let them know you’re working on a new program and will provide training once your strategy is complete. You can also ask a few key people for their input on how to implement and manage the program.

Define what constitutes a near miss

Each employee might have their own definition of what a near miss actually is, so outline what will constitute a near miss.

Make the reporting process easy

Don’t overcomplicate how you want near misses reported (after all, nothing major happened). Keep a simple form handy and easily accessible, or add a form to your mobile EHS software for quick reference.

EHS is everyone’s responsibility, and reporting near misses can keep everyone safer on the job. Use EHS software to help you report near misses—start your free trial today.