OSHA Defense
Tips for Addressing Near Misses Part 2
While it’s critical to determine the root causes of accidents on the job site, analyzing the causes of a near miss on the job site could save a life. OSHA calls a “near miss” an incident that doesn’t lead to an injury or property damage but could have with any shift of time or position. These incidents often go unreported simply because employees don’t see the importance of letting someone know what happened. However, it’s these incidents that can serve as key indicators that a change in the workplace needs to take place in order to preserve employee safety.
In the first part of this series, we gave tips for addressing near misses including providing an environment where employees feel comfortable doing so. Here are a few more tips that are critical to this process:
Make it Easy to Report a Near Miss
As mentioned earlier, employees may not think to report an incident in which they were not injured. The first step to change that is to determine what a near miss is and the importance of reporting them. Then it’s critical to make process easy. Offer several outlets for reporting. Keep them simple and give employees the option to report anonymously.
Training
Training is a critical part of learning from near misses. Employees need to know how to identify and report them. Once a near miss has been analyzed, training is a key component in preventing accidents. The near miss will provide indicators of a change that needs to take place to prevent an accident. Whether it’s a physical or procedural change that needs to take place, training your employees will help them learn how to do their jobs safely. If you have any questions about the types of training that can aid in OSHA compliance, talk to the OSHA attorneys at Cotney Attorneys & Consultants today.
If you would like to speak with one of our OSHA lawyers, please contact us at 813.579.3278, or submit our contact request form.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.