Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
Near-Miss Reporting
Procedure for the reporting of near-misses as they occur
within the Faculty.
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to outline the overall procedure employed by the faculty
of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (ECM), for reporting near-misses as they
occur. This procedure aims to ensure the:
 Prevention of injury and/or reoccurrence of a similar incident;
 Reporting of data in a consistent manner;
 Involvement of appropriate personnel; and
 Differentiation between the 3 reporting methods.
Scope
This procedure applies to all staff and students performing work on campus as part of their
employment, studies or research, however a near-miss report may be filled out by anyone
that is on campus including visitors and contractors. Whenever an employee, student,
contractor, visitor or volunteer is involved in a UWA related near-miss it must be reported.
Students, Academic Supervisors, the Faculty Safety Support Team and Heads of School
all play a role in this procedure, and their commitment is required for its implementation to
be effective.
Definitions
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Hazard – an object or situation that has the potential for injury, ill health, damage or
other loss.
Near-Miss – A no-loss incident that could have resulted in an injury or illness to
people, danger to health and/or damage to property or the environment.
Incident – Any unplanned event that results in loss, including injury, ill health and
property/equipment damage.
ECM – Engineering, Computing and Mathematics.
Head of School - works in partnership with a School Manager, and together they
are responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the School.
Academic Supervisor - the University staff member who supervises the
participant.
Volunteer – person assisting in the off campus work under the direction of the
participant.
Introduction
A ‘near-miss’ is an unplanned incident that did not result in injury, illness or damage. Only
a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented it from being a loss producing incident.
Near-miss reporting, or the lack of it, can be used as an indicator of an organisations
safety culture. Research, such as that performed by Heinrich (1931) when he developed
his accident triangle (below), has shown that most loss producing events were preceded
by warnings or near-misses and that for every major injury/accident there are so many
near misses. The exact ratios have been heavily debated, yet usually it is considered that
for every major incident there are between 15 and 30 minor injuries and between 300 and
600 no-loss incidents.
Identifying and investigating near-misses
are key elements to finding and controlling
risks so we can better anticipate the next
probable accident and take steps to prevent
it. In terms of human lives and property
damage, near-misses are cheaper, zerocost learning opportunities.
Implementing a quick and easy to use nearmiss reporting system gives a way of
applying controls to unsafe working
conditions before major incidents occur.
The more near-miss reports filed will give a
more accurate representation of where
controls need to be placed.
The ‘2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form’ will be set up and available in select labs,
workshops and all admin offices comprising the UWA Faculty of Engineering, Computing
and Mathematics.
The University must exercise a “duty of care” under the WA Occupational Safety and
Health Act 1984. All staff should be familiar with the University’s Occupational Safety and
Health Policy and the Responsibility and Accountability Policy, in particular, the
responsibilities of supervisors and individuals.
Incident Reporting
The Faculty employs a three process incident reporting system. The report form to be
submitted is dependent on the nature of the unplanned event. The University requires that
all hazards, near-misses and incidents/injuries are reported, investigated and recorded.
1) Hazard Report Form
A hazard is a situation or object which presents the potential to harm a person, the
environment or cause damage to property. This could involve a piece of machinery,
equipment, task, item or chemical substance. We all have a responsibility to identify
hazards and if you cannot safely apply reliable control measures you should seek
assistance by reporting the hazard to the affected area Supervisor, the local Health and
Safety Representative and/or the ECM Safety Support Team.
2) 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form
A Near-Miss is a ‘no-loss incident.’ The chain of events that led to the Near-Miss involves
a (dormant) hazard, becoming active resulting in an incident that did not produce injury,
illness, damage or other tangible loss. Completing a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form
should be done as soon as practicable after a near-miss has been identified and
controlled/isolated.
3) Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form
If the chain of events of dormant hazard to active hazard to incident resulted in injury,
illness or property damage then it should be considered as a ‘loss producing incident.’
In the event of such an incident the person(s) involved should seek medical attention as
required, inform their supervisor as soon as practicable and apply control measures if
appropriate and safe to do so. A Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form or Confidential
Needlestick/Sharps Injury or Exposure to Bodily Fluid Report Form must then be
completed as soon as practicable.
For urgent assistance following any of these events contact UWA Security on (6488) 2222.
Example.
Jenny sees a loose concrete slab on the top step on a pathway. This presents the
potential for an incident so is considered a hazard. Unfortunately Jenny did not report the
hazard and later that day she sees the loose slab wobble as someone steps on it, leading
to them falling. Luckily they were not hurt. As such no loss occurred during this incident so
it is defined as a near-miss. They went their separate ways and both filled out a 2 Minute
Near-Miss Report Form. However, if the person had of fallen and sprained their ankle, this
would have been a loss producing incident (injury) and a Confidential Incident/Injury
Report Form would be required.
Incident Reporting Framework
2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form
Red: Was nature/level of risk during no-loss incident
great? Did it require work to cease and controls to be
put in place?
Yellow: Was it a no-loss incident that did not require
work to cease, but caution had to be exercised
following the event?
Green: Was it a no-loss incident that was a singular
event, and did not require cessation of work?
Description of Events:
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What work was being performed?
What happened that led to the event?
How did it occur?
What was involved (equipment/plant etc.)?
How many people were involved?
Procedure – Following a near-miss/no-loss incident
(If an incident involving injury, illness or damage occurs complete a
‘Confidential Incident/Injury Report Form’. If it’s an emergency call 2222)
Identify and Assess
All staff and students are required to comply with the workplace procedures and to identify
and report any hazards, accidents, incidents and other safety concerns. Each individual is
responsible for taking reasonably practicable steps to ensure their own safety and
personal security. Responsibility exists to identify near-misses as they occur and assess
them for the level of risk that they present.
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If the no-loss incident is assessed as being a singular unplanned event, which
occurred due to a break in a system that would normally constitute safe procedures,
and no longer presents a risk, then work may be continued (Green traffic light).
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If the chain of events that caused the near-miss still poses a risk then an
assessment must be made regarding whether to continue work with caution
(Amber) or to cease work entirely and control the risk (Red).
Not to be used in case of emergency. If a serious threat to life or safety exists, call security
on 2222 (External: 6488 2222).
Clear the Area / Control any Hazards
Once an assessment has been made, for near-miss incidents deemed as amber or red the
person responsible is to ensure that the area has been secured. This could mean
removing the hazard in question, by applying controls and/or ceasing the workflow, or by
removing people from the vicinity.
Fill out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form
For all near-misses the person(s) involved in or witnessing the incident must as soon as
practicable fill out a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form, including its corresponding traffic
light colour as assessed before. These can be filled out physically on the reporting pads
that are located in workshops, labs and at the admins/receptions listed below. They can
also be filled in online via the ECM Health and Safety website. The reports must be
detailed and accurate.
Submit
If completing a physical form, it must be submitted either to a supervisor, or to one of the
following Near-Miss Submission Locations.
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Building 222 – Environmental Systems Engineering
o ECM Safety Support Team office, Room 208
o Environmental Systems Engineering Building Admin, Room 111
Building 223 – Mathematics
o Monadelphous Integrated Learning Centre Unit Support Office, Room 163
o Mathematics 1st Floor Reception, Room 126
Building 224 – Civil and Mechanical Engineering
o Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering Admin, Room 114
o Mechanical and Chemical Engineering Admin, Room 201
Building 226 – Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
o Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering Admin, Room 152
Building 241 – Computer Science and Software Engineering
o Computer Science and Software Engineering Admin, Room 131
If they are filled out online, persons filling out the form need only submit them via the ECM
Health and Safety website.
Collection
Once a reception area receives a 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Form the employee present
is to, as soon as practicable, email the ECM Safety Support Team at safetyecm@uwa.edu.au.
Filing and Investigation
Once collected, the details of the 2 Minute Near-Miss Report Forms will be uploaded by
the ECM Safety Support Team as an online submission. The forms will be kept as paper
copies.
The ECM Safety Support Team will at this point pursue any necessary investigations.
Faculty of Engineering Computing and Mathematics
The University of Western Australia
M000, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009
Tel
Fax
Email
Web
+61 8 6488 6945
+61 8 6488 6945
safety-ecm@uwa.edu.au
http://www.ecm.uwa.edu.au/staff/safety
CRICOS Provider Code: 00126G