All too often workplace close calls, or “near misses,” are ignored or downplayed, usually because workers fear getting into trouble. Here are some tips for turning near misses into opportunities for instructive and preventive action.
On a summer morning in 2006, in Brooklyn, N.Y., OSHA compliance officer Bob Stewart requested that six construction employees be removed from a deep excavation because of a hazardous 10-ton concrete abutment hanging above it. Fifteen minutes later, the overhang collapsed and fell, landing in the exact spot in which the employees had been working.
That is an unusually dramatic example of a workplace close call, made rarer still in that an OSHA inspector happened to be on hand just moments before. But close calls, or “near misses,” are a part of everyday life.
Most employers take care to remind workers of the dangers that can lead to accidents and injuries and provide training on how to avoid accidents. And when an accident does occur, there is immediate response, followed by an investigation, so that similar accidents can be prevented in the future.
Learn the “steps” of how an accident occurs, and how human factors can evolve into an unplanned event. Join us August 22 for a BLR webinar on Workplace Accident Investigations That Save Lives: What to Investigate, Why, and How. Can’t attend? Preorder the CD. Satisfaction assured! Read more.
But our bimonthly sister publication, OSHA Compliance Advisor, notes that far too often insufficient attention is paid to near misses in which no accident occurs, or where an accident is so minor that there is no damage to persons or property. Some examples:
- A worker trips over an extension cord that lies across the floor, but avoids a fall by grabbing the corner of a nearby desk.
- An outward opening door nearly hits a worker, who jumps back just in time.
- The second rung of a ladder breaks, but the employee maintains his balance and steps safely to the floor.
- Using the wrong tool to remove the steel strapping from a crate results in a fiercely lashing length of metal, which only by sheer luck manages to keep from causing dreadful cuts.
Failure to take these incidents seriously is begging for trouble, because it is almost inevitable that, sooner or later, a tripping worker will fall, another will be struck by that door, the damaged rung of a ladder will cause a serious fall, and improper handling of strapping will result in dire injury.
What Should Be Done?
Rather than ignoring close calls, consider them an opportunity for instructive and preventive action.
The first step: Make it clear that workers are expected to report near misses—and that the purpose is not to place blame but to figure out how to prevent an accident next time.
As the training opportunity will likely be greatest while the close call is still on everyone’s mind, right after the incident, deliver a toolbox or tailgate talk on what did happen, what could have happened, and how to make sure it doesn’t happen.
Workplace accident investigations aren’t effective unless you know what, why, and how to investigate. Join our safety expert on August 22 for a 90-minute webinar. Can’t attend? Preorder the CD. Satisfaction assured! Read more.
It may even be helpful to conduct a training session on close calls in general. The trainer or safety committee member might start by mentioning examples that have occurred in your operation. Workers could then be asked to add examples from their own recollection.
Then the session should focus on causes and, finally, on corrective action. By recognizing the “almost-accident” as a warning and encouraging safety awareness on everyone’s part, you’ll not only reduce the number of near misses but—far more important—also the number of real accidents.
Even with the best planning and training, however, workplace accidents are going to occur. In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll tackle the topic of accident investigations, including some best practices that could help you save lives in your workplace.