06 May What To Do About Near Misses

What to Do About Near Misses

A near miss is an unplanned event that does not result in injury, illness, or property damage but had the potential to do so. The difference between a near miss and a serious accident may be nothing more than timing, position, or luck.

When a near miss occurs, do not ignore it simply because no one was hurt. Treat it as a warning that a hazard or unsafe condition exists and needs to be corrected.

Why Near Misses Matter

Near misses provide an opportunity to identify and correct hazards before someone is injured. Examples may include:

• Tripping over an object without falling.
• A falling object narrowly missing a worker.
• Equipment moving unexpectedly without striking anyone.
• A vehicle nearly striking a worker or another vehicle.
• A load shifting or falling without causing an injury.
• Discovering a missing machine guard before someone contacts the moving parts.
• Nearly contacting an energized electrical source.
• Slipping on a wet surface but regaining your balance.
• Materials falling because they were improperly stacked or secured.
• A tool or equipment malfunction that could have caused an injury.

Any of these situations could have produced a much more serious outcome under slightly different circumstances.

Report Near Misses

Employees should report near misses to their supervisor as soon as possible. Reporting is not about assigning blame. It allows the company to identify hazards, determine why the event occurred, and take corrective action.

When reporting a near miss, provide as much useful information as possible, including:

• What happened.
• Where and when it occurred.
• What task was being performed.
• Equipment or materials involved.
• Conditions that contributed to the event.
• What could have happened.
• Any immediate corrective action that was taken.

Never avoid reporting a near miss because it seems minor or because no one was injured.

Determine the Cause

Simply correcting the obvious condition may not prevent the event from happening again. Near misses should be evaluated to determine their underlying causes.

Questions to consider include:

• Was the correct procedure being followed?
• Was the employee properly trained?
• Was the correct equipment or tool being used?
• Was equipment defective or poorly maintained?
• Were guards or other protective devices missing?
• Did housekeeping contribute to the event?
• Were hazards adequately identified before work began?
• Did communication, planning, or supervision contribute?
• Are changes needed to prevent recurrence?

The goal is to understand why the event occurred and correct the conditions that allowed it to happen.

Take Corrective Action

Once the causes have been identified, appropriate corrective actions should be implemented. Depending on the circumstances, this may include repairing equipment, improving guarding, correcting housekeeping problems, revising procedures, providing additional training, or changing the way the work is performed.

If an immediate serious hazard is discovered, stop the affected work and notify the supervisor so the hazard can be controlled before work resumes.

Near Misses Are Warning Signs

Do not rely on luck to prevent injuries. A worker who narrowly avoids an injury today may not be as fortunate the next time the same hazard is encountered.

Reporting and investigating near misses gives everyone an opportunity to correct problems before they result in an injury, property damage, or a more serious incident.

Remember

If you experience or witness a near miss, do not shrug it off. Report it, determine what went wrong, and help make sure the hazard is corrected. A near miss today could become a serious accident tomorrow.