A “close call” or accident without injury is easy to shrug off and forget. But there is a danger in brushing off accidents that don’t hurt, harm, or damage. When a close call happens, it should immediately send up a red warning flag that something was wrong, unplanned, or unexpected, and could happen again. The next time a close call or near-miss happens, it could result in serious damage, injury, or in the worst case scenario, death.
For every close call or accident there are usually several contributing factors, most of which can be controlled. The best way to prevent the reoccurrence of an accident is by looking at those close calls. By investigating the root causes of a close call, you can take steps to eliminate the hazard and improve the work system.
Sometimes there are multiple causes for a close call involving:
Don’t rush to judge. Examine the facts and find what’s missing. Look for underlying causes. An immediate cause may be an unsafe condition like a mechanical failure, or it could be an unsafe action by a fellow employee. The underlying cause could be poor machine maintenance, a missing guard, a crowded work area, or a lack of training.
All close calls or near-miss type incidents should be reported to your supervisor so solutions can be sought to prevent an accident or injury from occurring. Solutions may involve engineering controls, administrative controls, additional training, or increased communication between management and workers.
Inspect your work area for unsafe conditions or unsafe actions and, if found, report them to your supervisor. Hazard awareness is key to preventing accidents before they happen. Take steps to eliminate hazards as soon as they are discovered. Learn the real lesson from close calls. They can happen again and again until they cause injury, so tell your supervisor about every accident, no matter how minor it may seem at the time.
