In an on-going research effort by ABS, Lamar University, and vessel operators, over 18,000 near-miss reports have been collected. The focus of this paper is on near-miss reports that included a recommended “design” change on or to the vessel and any related quality or safety management system.
Limited consistency in the definition of a near miss and the type of near-miss data being collected was found. Interestingly, it was noted that most of the near miss reports for this study contained some form of recommendation or corrective action. This review also noted apparent differences in vessel operator safety program maturity among the companies providing near miss data.
As a result, this investigation focused on the recommended corrective actions and associated hazard control processes. Additionally, based on the findings of limited consistency, this paper will discuss core components for near miss reporting and for an effective near miss management system.

Near miss; corrective actions; design changes; near miss management