Near miss reporting

A Near Miss (sometimes called a close call, although I like the term "good catch") is defined as: an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to do so.

Examples of near misses could include: 

• Cuthbert is searching for a new respirator cartridges, he notes they're are a few expired ones on the shelf, but he carries on searching and finds one that is in date  and runs off to get on the truck to site. 

• Wilfreda is walking across site and her foot gets caught in a trailing cable. She trips a little but manages to regain her footing, she has a quick check to see no one saw, and she carries on with her task. 

• Rupert is working on a roof, he knocks a screwdriver he used to open a paint pot over the side. He waits... no cries of pain... he gingerly looks over the edge... phew - no one there. He retrieves the screwdriver on his next break - no one ever knew...  

In each of these examples, the person could have done something to prevent someone else from being exposed to a hazard. But, by doing nothing, its likely the hazard will continue to occur until someone is hurt. It's not uncommon, at that point, for an overreaction and for extreme controls to be put in place to prevent future incidents.

A Minor injury is defined as an injury which could be treated using just first aid and required no follow up medical intervention. This would include: sprains, strains, cuts, grazes and small burns. 

The Safety Triangle, shown below, demonstrates that for every 600 near misses, there will be 30 minor injuries. For every 30 minor injuries there will be 10 serious injuries. For every 10 serious injuries, there will be a fatality. Whilst numbers may vary at each level, the fact remains that there is a clear link between near misses and more serious injuries.