Near miss reporting in the chemical process industry: an overview

The research programme described in this paper focuses on the human component of system failure in general, and more specifically on the design and implementation of information systems for registration and analysis of so called near misses (or: near accidents) in the chemical process industry. Its final goal is to enhance industrial safety and reliability by applying cognitive psychological models of human behaviour as the basis of a safety management tool. Main activities have been the organisation of an international workshop on Near Miss Reporting which was sponsored by the European Commission, and a 3-year contract to design and implement a "Near Miss Management System" for a chemical plant in Rotterdam. Conclusions concerning success factors will involve both cognitive-theoretical design aspects, and organisational issues related to the introduction and maintenance of such safety programmes.