A collaborative project by Napier Port and I-Net has set a new industry standard for incident and near miss reporting.
Napier Port takes workplace safety incredibly seriously, and reporting any near misses is a vital part of actively managing safety on port. A near miss is an incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred.
Napier Port recognised that paperwork was a barrier to staff reporting near misses, so it teamed up with radio communications provider I-Net to introduce a new system – reporting via voice recording. The idea was inspired by a presentation from human factors expert Dr Kathleen Callaghan.
Napier Port worked with I-Net to create two new radio channels, to be used by people working on the port’s container terminal. One channel was for reporting any damages, and the other for near misses and incidents.
These dedicated radio channels have made the reporting process less onerous for staff. Reporting can now be done virtually, at the time the observation is made. Near miss reporting has overtaken incident reporting for the first time, and Napier Port is seeing a greater awareness of risks and trends. It has also invested in the follow-up to reporting, to ensure people see the results of their reporting.
This initiative has been recognised as a leader in the radio communications industry – I-Net recently took home the Project Excellence Award at the Radio Frequency Users Association of New Zealand (RFUANZ) Industry Excellence Awards. Other New Zealand ports have been following this closely, as it sets a new industry standard.
