Near-Miss Management Systems in the Chemical Process Industry

This paper provides a systematic framework for the analysis and improvement of nearmiss programs in the Chemical Process Industries. Near-miss programs improve corporate Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) performance through the identification and utilization of accident precursors. By remedying precursors that signal the potential for an accident, accident rates may be reduced. Effective near-miss programs encourage employee involvement in all stages of near-miss management. Based on over one hundred interviews at twenty chemical and pharmaceutical facilities, a seven-stage framework has been developed and is presented herein. The framework enables sites to analyze their own near-miss programs, identify weak management links, and implement improvements.

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