Anecdote: Firefighters in the US deploy a narrative database of near misses

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20/09/05 |

Firefighters in the US deploy a narrative database of near misses

By Shawn. Filed in Narrative.

Wired has just reported that 38 fire departments across the US are beginning to use the National Fire Near-Miss Reporting System. Firefighters are encouraged to record their stories of what happened in the field for the day so other colleagues and other fire departments might learn from their experience.

One unusual danger reported during the database's pilot run is that vehicle air bags can deploy from static electricity, even after a vehicle's battery is disconnected.

"If you're leaning over the steering wheel, attending to the patient ... these things come out at 200 miles per hour, and that's going to put some hurt on you," said Deputy Chief Steve Mormino of South Farmingdale, New York.

BHP Billiton has a similar system which forms the backbone of their safety program. The interesting thing about near misses is that people are more likely to talk about them, whereas in the case of a death or major accident there is a tendency to keep mouths shut for fear of reprisals.

The most important thing about this story is the recognition that anecdotes provide more context and are more engaging than a bland description of an incident.

[via elearningpost]

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