Having Trouble Explaining the Difference Between Near Misses and Unsafe Acts?

Is it a near miss?  Or was it an unsafe act?  Maybe just an unsafe condition.  What’s the difference and how do you explain it to your crew when introducing them to your safety management system?

Check out nearmiss.dk for more cartoons like the one below.  It’s a good visual explanation of the differences between some of the terms used in our safety management systems.  As the safety culture of a vessel and/or company evolves, many are moving away from the simple reporting of near misses.  By identifying (and resolving!) unsafe acts and unsafe conditions, the goal is to break the error chain before a near miss even occurs.

So, where is YOUR safety culture on the evolution chain?