Near-miss reporting system as an occupational injury preventive intervention in manufacturing.
BACKGROUND
a database of near-misses (NM), minor injuries, and OSHA recordable injuries was established at a mid-size electrical manufacturing plant as part of injury prevention efforts. The utility of a NM reporting system was evaluated by estimating its impact on the annual incidence of minor and OSHA recordable injuries.


METHODS
logistic regression was performed to examine the effects of predictor variables (year, age, duration of employment) on the type of event (NM, minor, OSHA recordable). Poisson regression was fit to model the annual rate of OSHA recordable injuries as a function of time.


RESULTS
1690 events were reported between 1999 and 2006 including 261 NM, 1205 minor, and 205 OSHA recordable injuries. The expected rate of OSHA recordable injuries decreased by 0.84 (95% CI: 0.73-0.97) annually.


CONCLUSIONS
the implementation of a NM reporting system was associated with decrease in the rate of OSHA recordable injuries. NM reporting systems may be valuable injury interventions in manufacturing.
Lander
Lina
L
Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-4395, USA. llander@unmc.edu
Eisen
Ellen A
EA
Stentz
Terry L
TL
Spanjer
Kathleen J
KJ
Wendland
Bryce E
BE
Perry
Melissa J
MJ
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016015:Logistic Models; D008420:Manufactured Materials; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*