4 Ways to Motivate Near Miss Reporting

An infallible near-miss reporting campaign accounts for a significant portion of workplace safety. Therefore, we have listed four easy ways to create an infallible near-miss reporting campaign that tempts workers to report near-misses, whether simple or hazardous.

Have you ever watched a comedy movie and laughed hilariously at the unintentional accidents? These accidents start from a simple tripping act over the wire or staircase, and the entire cast turns topsy-turvy.

This act made you laugh because it was built up in that way. But have you ever thought about where this idea originated? These are a series of near-misses that contributed to making a hilarious scene.

But if you consider it seriously, when near misses are reported, they prevent big blunders from happening. These minor incidents can quickly turn into hazardous accidents. So, to prevent these minor incidents from turning into dangerous situations, encouraging near-miss reporting is a must.

But how do you motivate near-miss reporting? And even if you have a proper system in place, how do you improve near-miss reporting?

The more near-misses are reported, the fewer accidents will happen. This implies that you need a fool-proof, near-miss campaign that can never go wrong.

A near-miss campaign is crucial for any workplace. Even minor slips, falls, trips, or spills must be encouraged to be reported. The more near-misses are reported, the less likely incidents are to occur. Therefore, go through the below steps for a successful near-miss campaign, and maybe even one or all of them might be helpful!

Proper training encourages workers to ensure they are working safely with their peers. Organizations need to make this training as interactive as possible. Incorporation of videos, demo materials, visuals of consequences, and more ensure critical awareness about safety.

Imagine if you verbally tell a worker to report a near-miss accident at a construction site. They will nod and say yes. But if you show them the consequences if a near-miss is not reported, they will understand it accurately.

Hence, only ‘training’ is insufficient, but the correct type of training motivates near-miss reporting.

You can also keep the reporting anonymous to mitigate the fears. Organizations must engage employees at all levels to build a culture to report every near-miss incident. Incorporating safety software with mobile apps makes it easy for everyone concerned to report a near-miss.

A reward or punishment culture may return negative responses. It may send signals that the company prioritizes reward programs over safety.

Instead, have collective discussions and brainstorm the results that a near-miss could have created. Team support and collaboration positively impact the workers as they help them realize that letting their guard down in near-misses opens them to increased risks.

Employees come forward and invest their time – which makes them alert to near-misses (if happening) around them. The sense of satisfaction that they saved themselves and others from an accident alone persuades them to keep going. Staying safe is, therefore, celebrated throughout.

If you have safety software in place, it can provide statistics on the number of near misses in a specific area. When the count is reduced as days pass, it encourages others to follow suit. As a result, you have more reasons to celebrate!

In the era of digitization, near misses need a dedicated software solution. Mobile apps make it simple to quickly record, escalate, and inform of unwanted events. When software training is provided correctly, near misses are reported rapidly. Software eases communication and makes near-miss reporting effortless.

By definition, every near miss must be updated in the safety software. This cautious act can alert the concerned departments to take quick action. Plus, there should be a provision to track every report’s closure and actions to avoid such unwanted events happening in the future.

Keeping track of near-misses via software and constantly monitoring them will keep every safety personnel in the loop. This results in people staying more alert to near-misses around them, thus contributing to fewer accidents at the workplace.

The software’s near-miss analysis can provide significant insights for further strategic decisions.

According to safetyandhealthmagazine, PIKA, an organization with 130 employees, implemented ways to motivate near-miss incidents. The company’s OSHA recordable number fell from 4 to 1, which was remarkable. The incident rate dropped from 3.62 to 0.817 in just one year.

See, we also have actual numbers to prove that near-miss reporting works. Some organizations have proved that encouraging near-miss reporting has escalated safety and awareness among workers. So when there is proof that things have worked, we all have to ensure that employees have the means to report near-misses easily, when and where.

From near-miss training to improving culture and rewarding good behavior, these are stepping stones in incorporating a positive near-miss culture. And adding near-miss software in the safety system will prove to be a big leap for an organization’s safety culture.

Therefore, the right motivation can lead to the best safety management in a workplace. If a workplace promotes a positive reporting culture, no one will be reluctant to highlight the smallest near-misses. This will lead to a safety leap. After all, a safe workplace is a happy workplace!