Did you know that many companies do not report near misses, and as a result, an injury occurred? OSHA says, “A near-miss is a potential hazard or incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred.” Many times, near misses may go unreported for several reasons, such as no company policy or not encouraging it. But reporting near misses is a valuable source of information. This allows organizations the opportunity to identify hazards or weaknesses and address them before an injury occurs.
There are many ways to identify a near miss. They are like accidents, but luckily, no serious injury occurred. Near misses may be identified as:
REMEMBER: This is not an all-encompassing list; your organization’s list may include other types of near misses.
As you can see, near misses also include potential property damage and potential spills to the environment.
Some additional tips on near misses:
Near misses must be treated just as you would any other incident investigation. Create a culture that helps recognize near misses in the workplace and how to resolve them. If you can demonstrate over time, that reporting near misses are an important piece of your safety program, you are well on your way to success!