Increasing Near-Miss Reporting Through a Culture of Mutual Understanding and Self-Disclosure

Abstract

Considering the known benefits of near-miss reporting, why are workers on the front lines of the process industries – operators and maintenance technicians – still so reluctant to communicate their daily experiences? Many have recommended increased operator training or incentive programs as solutions, but those mechanisms can only work when leaders already see improved safety as a priority. More common are leaders who openly prioritize performance, leaving their operators and maintenance workers to make a personal choice between safety and productivity. Although safety can usually be deferred, disappointing productivity is guaranteed to have immediate, negative consequences. One can hardly blame them for cowing to the whip that hurts the most. It stands to reason that near-miss reporting mechanisms are only as effective as the safety culture in which they're implemented. Using research in process safety, psychology, and human resources, this paper suggests methods for developing a culture of communication, trust, and respect between leaders and workers, resulting in an environment in which near-miss reporting is frequent, voluntary, and effective in creating safer conditions and behaviors.