ISO 45001 Near-Miss Report Form Template

Introduction

In the sphere of occupational health and safety (OHS), avoiding any incidents or mishaps at the workplace is the primary objective. Though it might seem trivial to deal with incidents or accidents at the workplace, the true challenge here is to avoid even them. That is why, for every serious company, which prioritizes worker safety as one of the main concerns, an ISO 45001 near miss report form is one of the main instruments of work. In this article, we will discuss why it is so, what components an ideal report should consist of, and how it helps to build a solid culture of safety within the workplace.

ISO 45001 Near Miss Report Form: What You Need to Know

A near miss, also referred to as a close call or near-accident, is an incident that almost caused harm, damage, and/or injury to people, property, or the environment, but did not actually cause any negative consequences. Hence, near misses can become an important source of data, which can be used to prevent future incidents.

The data about near misses allows you to:

• Manage potential risks proactively.
  
  

• Make sure that no incidents or injuries occur.
  
  

• Collect valuable data to analyze the causes of incidents.
  
  

• Showcase the organization’s commitment to workers’ safety and well-being.
  
  

• Reduce costs due to mishaps.

Moreover, having a strong system for managing these reports is essential for adhering to ISO 45001 regulations and other quality management standards, as it illustrates that the organization has proper processes in place to manage and control possible incidents, near misses, and injuries. Although ISO 45001 standard does not explicitly mention near misses, it is a crucial element in the functioning of an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) in accordance with ISO 45001.

A thorough investigation of close calls as a part of the organization’s OHSMS not only helps to ensure and demonstrate that the system meets the requirements of ISO 45001 but also constantly improves workers’ safety in the workplace. Now, let us take a closer look at the most important clauses that deal with near misses.

• Clauses 6.1.2 and 10.2: Clauses 6.1.2 and 10.2 of ISO 45001 standard mention the need for the establishment of processes of hazard identification, assessment and control of OHS-related risks and opportunities, and investigation of any incident or similar unplanned event. Although near misses do not necessarily indicate the occurrence of an incident or an injury, they are closely related to them as potential factors or sources of incidents, near misses, and injuries.
  
  

• Clause 5.1: Clause 5.1 makes it clear that top-level management is responsible not only for establishing and maintaining a safe working environment, but also for raising awareness and ensuring participation of all personnel in support of the OHSM system.

By ensuring proactive management of any incidents, near misses, and possible injuries, you not only comply with the requirements of ISO 45001, but also improve your system of occupational health and safety management.

Although creating a report with general information might seem simple, providing all relevant information and thorough documentation are essential for managing incidents and ensuring the safety of your workers.

An ISO 45001 near miss report form template can be filled out by anyone and is often used as a general guide or a source of all relevant data concerning the incident.

Hence, creating a well-structured document is important to ensure efficient OHSMS, analyze and find correlations between incidents, and prevent future ones.
So, what components should an ISO 45001 near miss report form have?

ISO 45001 Near-Miss Report Sample Template

The near-miss report form template below is divided into sections for general information, incident details, description, contributing factors, potential consequences, corrective and preventive actions, follow-up activities, and other crucial information.

It is essential for the person filing the report to provide all available and relevant information that can help in identifying the incident and its causes. A well-organized report form helps to investigate the event efficiently and find any possible issues, which may contribute to incidents in the future.

I.1 General Information

• Reporter's Name (can be anonymous): This is a sensitive piece of information and is not obligatory. It may help to clarify some details if required.
  
  

• Location: The specific area where the near miss took place.
  
  

• Contact Info (optional): Can be included if necessary.
  
  

• Date of Report.

I.2 Incident Details

• Date of Near-Miss: The date of the event.
  
  

• Time of Near-Miss: The time when the incident has occurred.
  
  

• Specific Location of Near-Miss: The area of the event.
  
  

• Type of Incident (Categorization): The category of the incident: Slip/Trip/Fall, Dropped Object, Equipment Malfunction, Chemical Spill, Struck by/Against.

II. Description

• What Happened?: A brief description of what has occurred.
  
  

• How it Happened/What Almost Happened?: Include information concerning the circumstances and possible consequences of the incident.
  
  

• Who was involved/witnessed?: Persons concerned.

III. Contributing Factors

• Immediate Causes: What immediate cause led to the incident (slippery floor, etc.).
  
  

• Underlying Causes: Causes that led to the incident (poor housekeeping, lack of training, etc.).
  
  

• Environmental Factors: Light, noise, temperature, weather, etc.
  
  

• Human Factors: Fatigue, stress, experience, distraction, rushing, etc.

IV. Potential Consequences

• What would have happened if it had been an actual accident?: What consequences could have occurred.

V. Immediate Actions Taken

• Were any immediate actions taken to make the situation safe?: If yes, list them below.
  
  

• Who?: Persons involved.

VI. Recommendations

• Reporter’s Suggestions: What action should be taken (in the opinion of the reporter).

VII. Follow-up and Investigation (For Safety Team/Management)

• Date of Investigation.
  
  

• Investigator(s) Name(s).

• Findings: Investigation results that confirm the information provided by the reporter or additional information.
  
  

• Agreed Corrective/Preventive Actions: Corrective action.
  
  

• Responsible Person(s) for Actions: Who should handle the corrective/preventive actions.
  
  

• Target Completion Date: Date of completion.
  
  

• Actual Completion Date: Date of actual completion.
  
  

• Verify Results and Measures Taken: Checking the results of implementing the corrective action.

VIII. Management Review/Sign-off

• Reviewed by.

• Date of Review.

• Comments/Additional Actions.

• Signatures.

Now, let us take a look at the most important practices to consider when establishing the near-miss report system within your company.

Establishing Your Near-Miss Report Form System: A Step-by-Step Guide

An ISO 45001 near miss report form sample and a set of practices to consider while using it can help build a strong OHSM system.

1. Educate and raise awareness: First of all, to ensure high rates of incident detection, it is crucial to educate and raise awareness among your employees concerning safety and OHSMS in general.
   
   

2. Make the form easily accessible: Having an easily accessible ISO 45001 near miss report form is one thing, but encouraging employees to actually fill it out is another.
   
   

3. Establish a no-blame culture: To engage your workers in the process and encourage them to notify the management about any OHS issues, it is essential to establish a no-blame culture within your company.
   
   

4. Encourage reporting: To get more reports and make sure that you handle the incidents efficiently, you can take several other steps.
   
   

5. Investigate and follow up: An important aspect of any ISO 45001 report, including the near-miss incident document, is the investigation. It is vital to establish efficient follow-up practices and make sure that you analyze the report correctly and take all necessary actions to prevent future similar incidents.
   
   

6. Track reports and analyze trends: Finally, to improve your safety management processes and promote high standards of OHSMS, it is essential to keep track of all the reports on a regular basis and analyze the statistics to detect possible patterns or trends.
   
   

7. Recognize employee contributions: In order to ensure that no possible incidents are left uninvestigated and no potential risks are unaddressed, you can take these steps in combination with recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions and involvement in the process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an efficient system for managing and investigating incidents with the help of an ISO 45001 near miss report form is a cornerstone of an organization’s OHSM system. It allows the company to ensure a proactive approach towards managing safety issues and potential risks, constantly improving the protection of its workers and following ISO 45001 requirements.