Incidents occur every day day in the workplace that could result in a serious injury or damage. Reporting and analyzing “near misses” is vitally important to preventing serious, fatal, and catastrophic incidents. These types of incidents often go unreported and can also be considered to be a close call.
What is a “Near Miss”?
A “near miss” is defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as an incident in which no property was damaged, and no personal injury was sustained, but, where given a slight shift in time, position, or circumstances, damage or injury could easily have occurred. If scrutinized and used as a tool, it can prevent injuries and damages in the future, providing an opportunity to improve health and safety in the workplace.
Collecting reports of “near misses” can help create a culture that seeks to identify and control hazards, which will reduce risks and the potential for harm.
Let’s take that “near miss” you experienced recently or long ago and use it as an opportunity to learn and develop policies and procedures to prevent that “near miss” from becoming something far worse.
AL has developed a completely anonymous online form to help facilitate the reporting of near misses in the workplace – whether it happened in the lab or in the field. Analyzing the information that you provide can help us protect everyone.
If you’re experienced any near misses in your career, please use this form.
Image courtesy of https://www.kpa.io/blog/a-near-miss-today-could-be-an-accident-tomorrow