Web Alert: Report a near-miss, save a life

The Standard Club has been working on a number of initiatives to promote the importance of near-miss reporting. The latest of these has been the creation of an educational video and workbook with Videotel, the maritime e-learning experts. The aim of this production is to educate mariners and shore managers specifically about near-miss reporting, and emphasise its importance in improving safety on board ships.

Near-miss reporting is an essential task which prevents accidents and saves lives. According to Herbert William Heinrich, an industrial safety expert from America, for every major accident involving fatality or serious injury, there are 29 minor accidents and 300 near misses. If near misses are reported, collated, analysed and results distributed, there is opportunity to reduce the number of serious incidents that occur by identifying weaknesses in operational procedures and putting into practice the lessons learned.

The main messages of the video are:

• what should be considered a near-miss
• the importance of near-miss reporting
• when and how to report a near-miss incident
• how to analyse the reports to identify the causal factors and learn the right lessons
• the value of a proper safety culture on board and its implementation from the top down.

It is everyone’s responsibility on the ship to report and take action if they see any unsafe condition, hazard or near miss, as this could cause a serious incident the next time.

The Standard Club is committed to reducing the toll of preventable accidents, not just amongst its own membership but within the wider maritime industry. We see near-miss reporting as an essential facet of this.

If you wish to purchase or rent a copy of this video, please contact Sales and rentals, Videotel, 84 Newman Street, London W1T 3EU, +44 20 7299 1800, +44 20 7299 1818, mail@videotel.com or visit the website.