Taking care of occupational health and safety should be a priority for every company. One of the key aspects of managing safety in the workplace is the identification and prevention of potentially accidental events.

Near misses, also known as incidents, are dangerous situations that could have led to serious injuries, but did not necessarily occur. These may be moments when something went wrong, but fortunately no one was hurt.

Here are examples of such events:

• The employee almost tripped but avoided falling thanks to a quick reaction or accidental help from a colleague.
• Two vehicles on a construction site almost collided, but the collision was avoided at the last minute.
• An explosion could have occurred during work involving hazardous substances, but thanks to appropriate procedures and rescue activities, a disaster was avoided.
• An appliance or machine may have broken down but was quickly repaired before an accident could occur.

TYPES OF POTENTIAL ACCIDENT EVENTS:

• DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR OF CO-WORKERS

Unsafe behavior, also known as unsafe acts (UA), is one of the main factors leading to accidents and incidents in the workplace. These include behavior by employees or others that pose a risk to their own safety or the safety of others. Examples of unsafe behavior include: lack of or ineffective health and safety training; lack or ineffective supervision;

disregard for health and safety; recklessness; rush etc.

• HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS IN THE WORKPLACE

Unsafe conditions, known as unsafe conditions (UC), also represent a significant source of risk in the workplace. These include environmental conditions, equipment or infrastructure. Examples of unsafe conditions include: inoperative machinery; damaged tools; deformed platforms; leaking tanks;

excessive dust, noise, etc.

Potentially dangerous events (Potentially dangerous events) are a term that may have different meanings depending on the context and workplace. In some places, when using this term, it simply refers to unsafe conditions and behaviors (UA/UC). In other companies or workplaces, the category includes situations that occurred without direct human participation but resulted in damage to property.

In some workplaces, accidents are divided into incidents and other accidents. Incidents are accidents that result in minor injuries that do not require medical attention beyond the application of dressings, etc. Incidents are treated as accidents, but injured workers are usually able to return to work after receiving treatment.

It is extremely important to report near misses:

• Reporting incidents: All near misses should be reported immediately to your supervisor or those responsible for safety in the company. The sooner they are reported, the easier it will be to take appropriate action.
• Accurate Documentation: Each incident should be thoroughly documented. This will allow for a detailed analysis and identification of causes and potential solutions.
• Cause Analysis: Once an incident has been reported, a root cause analysis should be performed.
• Implementing corrective actions: Based on the root cause analysis, corrective actions should be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
• Training and education: If the incident resulted from a lack of knowledge or inappropriate behavior of an employee, it is necessary to conduct training or provide appropriate information.
• Monitoring progress: Once corrective actions have been implemented, it is important to monitor progress and adjust procedures if necessary.

Reasons to report near misses:

• Accident prevention: Identification and analysis of near-accident events allow for the introduction of changes and procedures that minimize the risk of more serious accidents. This may result in preventive actions being taken to eliminate the causes of the risky event.
• Raise awareness: Incidents are excellent tools for educating employees about occupational health and safety. Each description of an event may be a reason to conduct training or remind about existing procedures.
• Improving procedures: Focusing on near-accident events helps improve procedures and equip employees with the tools and knowledge that will allow them to avoid potential dangers in the future.
• Improve safety culture: When employees see that the company takes even minor incidents seriously, they become more involved in safety issues and follow regulations more diligently.

Source:https://www.bhp-center.com.pl/czem-sa-zdarzenia-potencjalnie-wypadkowe/

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.