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Reporting Near Misses: The Free Lesson
A near miss is a gift and a chance to fix a danger before it hurts your friend.
Why this matters
- A near miss is a lucky escape. It is an event where something goes wrong but no one is injured and nothing is broken. It is a warning from the site that a hazard exists.
- If we ignore these small warnings, they will eventually lead to a real accident. Reporting a near miss is not about getting people in trouble. It is about finding a problem and fixing it for everyone.
Talking points
- See it, say it. If you see a close call or a lucky escape, tell your supervisor immediately.
- Focus on the hazard, not the person. We do not use near miss reports to punish workers.
- Think of your team. A small trip you survived might be the fall that seriously injures your coworker later.
- Report it even if you fixed it. If a cable was across a walkway and you moved it, we still need to know why it was there.
- Look for the cause. Was the lighting poor? Was the tool broken? Knowing why it happened helps us prevent it everywhere else.
- Every report is a free lesson. It allows us to change our RAMS or site rules without anyone having to go to the hospital.
Ask the crew
- Can anyone describe a close call they had recently where no one was hurt?
- Why do some people feel nervous about reporting a near miss?
- If you see a hazard that almost caused an accident, what is the first thing you should do?
Download the PDF with attendance sheet
More general site talks
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