Introducing "Near Miss" Detection: Stop Collisions Before They Happen
Team Voxel
July 29, 2023Voxel's near miss detection creates alerts and comprehensive reporting of PIT-to-PIT and PIT-to-person proximity, which are leading indicators of catastrophic collisions, life-altering injuries, and costly equipment damage.
A near miss1 is defined as an “unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to do so.” It's a situation where a serious incident could have occurred but didn't. Our new "Near Miss" feature aims to detect these instances involving PITs, people, and other PITs.
When Voxel detects a moving PIT getting too close to another PIT or person, a “Near Miss” incident is created. This distance is configurable to meet the specific needs of the site. Once the incident is detected, the Voxel platform notifies the site team of the near miss, so they can proceed with a coaching moment or another corrective action. The alerting mechanism, designed to function alongside the detection system, sends notifications within 60 seconds of the incident.
Near miss collision between two PITs.
The Importance of Detecting Near Misses
Research shows that small-scale near misses can potentially lead to more serious incidents in the future.1 Other studies reveal that for every reported injury, there are between 10 and 100 associated near-miss incidents.1 Identifying, analyzing, and responding to these near-miss incidents can have an exponential impact on improving safety and productivity for an organization.
Accidents involving PITs often occur due to lack of maintenance and inspection, and improper training of operators. Effective operation of lifts requires regular inspection and maintenance, along with clear operating rules posted within the facility. The "Near Miss" feature emphasizes the importance of maintaining the PITs in good working condition and helps enforce safety guidelines for PIT operation.
Near miss collision between two PITs.
An effective near-miss management program requires the commitment and support of corporate management. Prompt detection of a near miss and swift corrective action help mitigate future risks, making near misses a critical learning metric and leading indicator in any safety management system.
Using the "Near Miss" Feature
The "Near Miss" feature allows the user to be proactive in managing workplace safety. The system sends immediate alerts team-wide when a near-miss incident is detected, allowing safety professionals to quickly address the situation and take corrective actions.
In addition, the system generates detailed incident reports, including timestamps and locations. Access to this historical near-miss data is instrumental in identifying patterns and trends, enabling an organization to improve safety protocols and employee training. Plus, safety teams can use Voxel to adjust thresholds of distance and speed to customize alert thresholds to fine-tune the detection system based on their specific warehouse environment.
Enhancing Safety Management with Voxel
The "Near Miss" feature marks another milestone in Voxel's quest to leverage AI for improving workplace safety. By detecting potential collisions and enabling quick action, this new tool adds a powerful layer of prevention to your safety management system.
The feature allows safety managers to take the guesswork out of safety and move toward a future where workplace injuries are a thing of the past. Don't wait for another near miss to happen in your facility. Equip your team with the proactive, instant alert system offered by Voxel's "Near Miss" feature.
If you're not already a Voxel customer or want to learn more about this feature and how it can be implemented in your facility, reach out to us. We'd be more than happy to share how Voxel's technology can provide you with invaluable insights to elevate workplace safety protocols.
Source: 1. Haas, Emily J., et al. “Learning from Workers’ near-Miss Reports to Improve Organizational Management.” Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 873–885, Jan 2020.
