How to increase safety awareness through ‘near miss’ and ‘potential incident’ reporting

In a well-developed safety system, it is critical to reduce the accident occurrence rate before an accident actually happens. In order to minimize accident occurrance, we first have to pay attention to every step of the routine operation within the entire working procedure. When an incident has occurred, we then have to identify the root causes and apply immediate correction, and lastly, incorporate a proper filing system of these incidents.

In addition to job safety analysis, ‘near miss’ and ‘potential incident’ are the two other preventive measures that can help to increase safety awareness and to prevent accident. 'Near miss' is an incident that has happened but without injury or damage; 'potential incident' is a hazard that has been identified but no incident has happened. Properly investigate the root cause, process and result of the incident can help to increase the safety awareness of workers and can reduce the chance of future recurrence of similar type of accidents.



Building adjacent to the service
station has blocked the sight view
of the car drivers who will turn
into the station

'Near miss' incident

In a recent inspection during our petrol interceptor cleaning service in Tong Mei Road service station, we have identified a potential incident. Before performing the service, the working area has already been identified and confined. However, due to limited space available, the working area and pedestrian road are very close. Building adjacent to the service station has blocked the sight view of the car drivers who will turn into the station, although traffic cones have been placed.

Immediate action

Informed tanker driver to inwardly park the tanker closer to the manhole of the API, and moved the traffic cones outwardly to the edge of service station to enhance the working area and have better indication of a confined working area to show car drivers outside who were going to turn into the service station. In addition, we also reported the case to the station manager, consensus was collected that during future service delivery, the tanker should park as close and as inward as possible and the traffic cones should place out to the edge of the station and the pedestrian road.

 

Traffic cones were moved outwardly
to the pedestrian areato have better
indication for drivers outside who
were going to turn into the service
station

Increasing safety awareness
 

Immediate actions taken to correct errors caused by behavioural and/or external environment can prevent the occurance of hazards and accidents, enhance workers' safety awareness, and help minimize future accident recurrance. On top of that, these 'near miss' or 'potential incident' reports will be filed to refresh and enhance the safety awareness of any workers who might be involved in similar work tasks, so as to prevent similar mistakes and accidents from happening again.

 

如何提升安全意識 -「未遂事故」和「潛在事件」報告

在一個有系統的安全制度裡，在意外發生前便降低它發生的機會率是關鍵的一步。而當中如何去減低意外的發生，便要在日常的工序中留心，細心留意有機會會導致意外發生的源頭，即時及在日後的工序中加以改善，再將資料紀錄在案，便可將發生意外的機會減至最低。

 



而除了常見的工作安全分析報告以及工作危險分析報告，紀錄「未遂事故」和「潛在事件」便是另外一種可以同時提升安全意識及預防意外發生的有效程序。「未遂事故」即一件已經發生但沒有造成意外傷亡的事件；而「潛在事件」則是一個有機會引發意外的潛在危險。正確地探討和確認事故發生的原因﹑經過和後果，除了可提高施工人員的安全意識，亦可有效地減低在未來再次發生同類型意外的機會。

在油店旁邊的大廈剛巧擋住
將要轉入油站車輛的視線

「潛在事件」

在最近一次的塘尾道油站清洗隔油池服務檢查，我們便發現了一件「潛在事件」。雖然工人在展開工序已經劃定了工作區域，但由於位置不足及過窄，使工作範圍太過接近行人路，在油店旁邊的大廈亦剛巧擋住將要轉入油站車輛的視線。

即時行動

立即知會工作人員，將缸車向內駛及將雪糕筒向外拉出至行人路旁，擴大工作區域，讓將會左轉的車輛能清晰地看到劃分出來的工作區域，避免因視線受阻、開車太快等原因造成的交通事故或意外。另外，亦向站負責人交代情況及取得共識，在未來同樣情況下將會採取相同的應對措施。
 

將雪糕筒向外拉出至行人路旁，
讓將會左轉的車輛能清晰地看到
劃分出來的工作區域

提升安全意識

即時修正行為上或外在環境引起的錯誤，不止可預防危險及意外事故的發生，更可提高工作人員的安全意識，有助減低日後同類型事件發生的機率。我們亦會將這些「未遂事故」或「潛在事件」紀錄在案，進一步提升將來有機會涉及有關工序工作人員的安全意識，防止同類錯誤和事故再次發生。