System thinking applied to near misses: a review of industry-wide near miss reporting systems

Brian Thoroman; Natassia Goode; Paul M Salmon

doi:10.1080/1463922X.2018.1484527

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System thinking applied to near misses: a review of industry-wide near miss reporting systems

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

System thinking applied to near misses: a review of industry-wide near miss reporting systems

Brian Thoroman, Natassia Goode and Paul M Salmon

Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, Vol.19(6), pp.712-737

2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1463922X.2018.1484527

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Abstract

accident causation

incident reporting

Near miss

reporting systems

systems thinking

Learning from near misses is an important component of maintaining safe work systems. Within safety science it is widely accepted that a systems approach is the most appropriate for analysing incidents in sociotechnical systems. The aim of this article is to determine whether industry-level near miss reporting systems are consistent with systems thinking. Twenty systems were identified, from a range of work domains, and were evaluated against systems thinking-based criteria. While none of the reporting systems fulfilled the full set of criteria, all are able to identify actors and contributing factors proximal to events in sociotechnical systems and many capture information on how accidents were prevented. It is concluded that the explanatory power of near miss reporting systems is limited by the systems currently used to gather data. The article closes by outlining a research agenda designed to ensure that near miss reporting systems can fully align with the systems approach.

Details

Title: System thinking applied to near misses: a review of industry-wide near miss reporting systems
Authors: Brian Thoroman (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Natassia Goode (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Paul M Salmon (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Publication details: Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, Vol.19(6), pp.712-737
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
Date published: 2018
DOI: 10.1080/1463922X.2018.1484527
ISSN: 1463-922X
Copyright note: This is an electronic version of an article published in Brian Thoroman, Natassia Goode & Paul Salmon (2018) System thinking applied to near misses: a review of industry-wide near miss reporting systems, Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 19:6, 712-737, DOI: 10.1080/1463922X.2018.1484527. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=1463-922X&volume=19&issue=6&spage=712-737
Grants: A new complex systems approach to road trauma: Applying systems thinking to the fatal five, FT140100681, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
From data to action: a new process for developing injury countermeasures, LP150100287, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99451339002621
Output Type: Journal article

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