To benefit from Near-Misses and prevent similar occurrences in the future, the Near-Miss must first be reported. While detailed investigations of Near-Misses provides us with detailed information, that level of reporting and documentation may limit the number of Near-Misses reported. While not discrediting that type of reporting, the ease of reporting seems to have a direct correlation to the number of Near-Misses reported. There is a benefit from collecting basic data then tracking and trending it.
As with all aspects of the S.O.S. System© what Near-Miss data is collected is customizable. Most agree that information such as location, time of day, day of week, temperature and climate should be included. Also, there must be a reporting mechanism that makes it easy to collect the data. The S.O.S. Near-Miss Card© uses check blocks and text to gather the data.
S.O.S. Near-Miss Cards© are collected in the same manner as the S.O.S. Observation Cards©. Daily, completed cards are turned in and reviewed by supervisors and management. Pertinent information is discussed with employees at the next available opportunity. Information is submitted anonymously as we are interested in the activity as opposed to the party involved.
Each week the completed cards are forwarded to our office to be entered into a custom database. Monthly an electronic report is prepared and forwarded to the pre-selected individuals. The monthly report depicts activities for the current month as well as some previous months.
