lnfo[slnasoluLlons.com.

au
"""#$%&'$()*+%(&$#,(-#'* age 1 of 2 !"#"$"%" ' !()*+, #- $. %//01*2+

S. I. N. A. = SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT


34+56- +5.475+- .2 8$*(9 :0-- #2/01*2+-;

"near mlss" ls one of Lhe dumbesL Lerms used ln safeLy and ln buslness and Lhe use of lL should be
ouLlawed and any safeLy "professlonal" LhaL uses lL needs Lo have hls/her Longue glued Lo hls/her llps.

A "near mlss" ls acLually a hlL........."Cops, oh well we nearly mlssed you" ...lL can mean Lwo dlfferenL
Lhlngs

1he Lerm "near mlss" creaLes a sense of comforL ln Lhe facL LhaL noLhlng ls really happenlng as long as
we keep mlsslng........"lf we mlssed hlm, whaL's Lhe blg deal?".........lL's a psychologlcal Lhlng.

now lf "near mlss" ls changed Lo "near hlL" a whole new meanlng and emphasls comes ouL......."We
nearly hlL a guy wlLh a forkllfL".......1here ls no half-way or mlsundersLandlng here........"WL nLA8L?
Pl1.......!"

CeLLlng employees Lo reporL near Mlsses ls a challenge. Lmployees ofLen quesLlon Lhe value of
reporLlng whaL Lhey've seen. lndeed, many fear LhaL comlng forward wlLh a reporL wlll cause Lrouble
and lead Lo punlshmenL. Powever, l've found an effecLlve Lechnlque Lo overcome relucLance:
Analoglze near Mlsses aL work Lo lncldenLs aL home. Slnce many of our employees are parenLs - and all
of Lhem were once chlldren - Lhls casLs Lhe sub[ecL ln a llghL Lo whlch Lhey can more easlly relaLe.
Pere's how Lo use Lhe Lechnlque.
!"#$ &'(("( )#**"+ #, -.$/ #+0 ).1"
A near Mlss ls an undeslred evenL LhaL, under sllghLly dlfferenL clrcumsLances, could have resulLed ln
harm Lo people or damage Lo properLy, maLerlals or Lhe envlronmenL. roper reporLlng of near Mlsses
ls essenLlal and Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon LhaL follows ls for Lhe purpose of Lralnlng, educaLlng and prevenLlng
fuLure lncldenLs or ln[ury.
near Mlss ls a Lerm used by occupaLlonal healLh and safeLy professlonals. 8uL lncldenLs also Lake place
ouLslde Lhe workplace. arenLs frequenLly handle near Mlss slLuaLlons aL home. Pere's a Lale of a
domesLlc near Mlss Lo lllusLraLe how Lhls works.
23" !"#$ &'(( 4556$(
?ou Lell your 16-year-old son (leL's call hlm 8ruce) Lo wash Lhe dlshes. 8ruce drops a carvlng knlfe whlle
loadlng Lhe dlshwasher. 1he knlfe falls vlolenLly Lo Lhe ground and lands blade-down on Lhe klLchen
floor, [usL mlsslng Lhe fooL of 8ruce's llLLle slsLer, Shella, by a few cenLlmeLers.
1haL ls a near Mlss. As a parenL, you wlll wanL Lo know whaL happened so you can Lake sLeps Lo ensure
lL doesn'L happen agaln. 8uL wlll 8ruce or Shella Lell you abouL Lhe lncldenL?
7$65" #+0 83"'9# :"5'0" -3",3"$ ,. ;"*.$, <,
lL depends. 1hrough llfe experlence and soclal condlLlonlng, chlldren are encouraged noL Lo reporL
slLuaLlons LhaL casL a "supposedly" negaLlve llghL on Lhemselves or anyone else. And, ln many famllles,
lnfo[slnasoluLlons.com.au
"""#$%&'$()*+%(&$#,(-#'* age 2 of 2 !"#"$"%" ' !()*+, #- $. %//01*2+
Lhere's an unwrlLLen code among slbllngs Lo keep mlsbehavlor a secreL and noL "LaLLle Lale Lo mom and
dad."
1he moLlvaLlon for such behavlor ls Lo proLecL oneself and one's slbllngs from punlshmenL. 8uL Lhere
are ways Lo defuse Lhls. Cne way ls Lo persuade your chlldren Lo always Lell Lhe LruLh and promlse Lhey
won'L be punlshed for dolng so.
23" )#**= >+0'+?
LeL's say 8ruce does ln facL come forward and Lell you whaL happened. Llke a good parenL should, you
lnvesLlgaLe Lhe lncldenL and assess Lhe rlsk of recurrence. As a resulL, you dlscover LhaL 8ruce:
Always rushes Lo load Lhe dlshwasher (1sL mlsLake), and
Crabs knlves by Lhe blade lnsLead of Lhe handle (2nd mlsLake).
now LhaL you know whaL's golng on, you are ln a poslLlon Lo educaLe 8ruce on Lhe dangers of always
belng ln a rush and on Lhe proper handllng of knlves. 1he problem ls resolved and dlshwasher loadlng
becomes safer aL your home.
23" @+3#**= >+0'+?
8ruce and Shella don'L reporL Lhe lncldenL. So you have no reason Lo suspecL LhaL 8ruce ls rushlng Lo
load Lhe dlshwasher and handllng knlves by Lhe blade. And slnce no ln[urles have occurred, Lhe
lmproper behavlor ls relnforced. So lL's repeaLed.
1wo weeks laLer, 8ruce asks permlsslon Lo go ouL wlLh hls buddles on lrlday nlghL. ?our response:
"Ckay, buL only afLer you load LhaL dlshwasher." 8ruce accepLs Lhe deal buL ls ln an even blgger hurry
Lhan usual Lo compleLe hls chore. Pe dlsLracLedly grabs a sLeak knlfe by Lhe blade and sllces open hls
hand.
1hls accldenL could have been avolded. 8uL lL wasn'L. 1he reason: ?ou dldn'L know abouL 8ruce's
dangerous loadlng Lechnlques unLll afLer an ln[ury occurred. 1he near Mlss, ln oLher words, was an
opporLunlLy Lo flx Lhe problem before lL led Lo an ln[ury. unforLunaLely, LhaL opporLunlLy was losL slnce
Lhe near Mlss wasn'L reporLed.
A.+596('.+
1hls ls slmple sLuff. 8uL lL's surprlslng how placlng Lhe lmporLance of near Mlss reporLlng ln Lhe conLexL
of Lhe home slLuaLlon drlves home Lhe message Lo employees. 1he Lechnlque has a secondary beneflL:
ln addlLlon Lo encouraglng Lhe reporLlng of near Mlsses, lL enables parenLs Lo consclously bulld on Lhe
pracLlce aL home and Lhus ellmlnaLe dangers LhaL LhreaLen Lhelr famllles. So glve lL a Lry.

;"1"1B"$ 8C<C!CDC E 8#F",= '( +. D55'0"+,