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Eyes and Ears for Safety

Source : Man Power

Reporting Near Misses, Hazards and Injuries

Occupational health, safety and welfare is a "grass roots" activity in the best of worlds. Employees, alert to potential risks, would report them and participate in a consultative approach to eliminate or minimise the risk to health, safety and welfare. A purist view of near miss and hazard reports (and to some extent injury reports) is that "more" = a "safer system" if investigated and properly controlled. The system would be continuously improved, with resulting reductions in harm.

I really believe this! I would never suggest to an employee that a potential hazard not be reported. However, I have a small confession. I find some reporting very frustrating! Let me attempt to explain...

Reports That Make One Groan!

Joe Bloggs leaves the office and makes his way to the company car. He notices that the tyres are beginning to show signs of wear. Not bald, not shredded, not impaled with sharp objects, but maybe the "tread depth indicators" are a little more visible than previously. Joe runs back to his desk, sharpens his pencil (which has a warning stencilled on it saying "Beware of sharp pointy end. May cause harm if jabbed into the eye"). Joe rockets off a hazard report about the unsafe condition of the vehicle.

Here's my question to Joe:

"Why did you not go to the business manager and ask them to book the car in for new tyres?"

If there is a maintenance system already in place and it is working well, it seems redundant to load the OHSW Management System up with unnecessary reporting. As an OHSW professional though, I can't very well say to Joe; "Tear up the report and go away!" But I would ask him to describe the risk assessment rationale he used to determine this was worthy of a report.

Reporting for Safety

Conversely, if Joe's business area was repeatedly allowing vehicle tyres to wear down to illegal levels before replacement, the argument would be that the maintenance system is not working well and is negligently allowing staff to be exposed to risk. A hazard report would be "spot on" under these circumstances. The larger OHSW Management System would be called on to eliminate this exposure to risk.

There may also be circumstances where safe operating procedures do exist, are being correctly implemented and are meeting current needs. Nevertheless, near miss or hazard reports could still be useful.

For example, certain functions may, by their very nature (e.g. Security Guards), expose employees to physical or verbal violence. Management may well have implemented, in consultation with employees, a range of suitable strategies to minimise risk to employees.

However, because the potential consequences of violence are serious, the organisation could maintain a watchful eye over the frequency and levels of incidents experienced by these employees. In so doing, the OHSW Management System is well positioned to monitor developing trends (e.g. increasing use of certain types of weapons by offenders) and to ensure employees are trained, resourced and supported accordingly.

Developing Purposeful Reporting

There are many reasons for employees submitting non productive reports, such as;

• Lack of understanding about the purpose of near miss, hazard and injury reports
• Not knowing administrative and maintenance systems
• Frustration with other aspects of the workplace (e.g. industrial conditions)
• Overly literal application of exhortation to report near misses and hazards

To build a culture of improvement-focussed reporting, management could create opportunities for employees to;

• learn about risk assessment processes
• develop a good understanding of administrative systems and standard operating procedures to deal with routine matters (this is not to suggest these matters are unimportant)
• participate in consultation about a wide range of workplace issues.

When people understand the purpose behind an activity, it is much easier for them to undertake the activity in a constructive and systemically helpful manner. Developing this understanding is a sound investment in the future of any organisation.