Investigations and Reporting

Near Miss Incident Theory

A near miss is an event or hazard that does not result in injury, illness or damage, but had the potential to do so. Near misses must be reported, regardless of how severe, in order to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken to prevent a recurrence in which serious injury or loss may occur.

Near misses happen in the construction industry on a regular basis. In reporting near misses, Qualico can use this information as a tool to change processes and prevent future incidents and serious injuries from occurring. With proper reporting, investigation, and corrective action, these incidents should never reoccur.

Examples of a Near Miss

• A Worker not wearing the proper PPE for the job.
• A Worker not following proper Safe Work Practices or Safe Job Procedures.
• A person slips on ice, a wet surface, or debris, but does not hurt themselves.
• Tool malfunctions or misuse.
• A tool that is dropped and lands beside another person.
• A missing guard rail and a person nearly slips into the opening.
• Using the top of a step ladder as a step.
• Equipment nearly contacting overhead power lines.
• Nearly hitting underground utilities or lines.

Incident Theory

Many safety practices are reactive rather than proactive, as they tend to happen after a near miss or loss has already occurred. Qualico acknowledges the need to be proactive in safety and to protect Workers on the job.

There is a theory suggesting there is a ratio between the number of serious incidents compared to the number of near misses or close calls. This theory is called the Incident Pyramid:

What the Incident Pyramid indicates is that for every 600 near misses, there are typically 30 property losses, 10 lost time incidents, and one major incident. The top three levels are part of the reactive process where an incident has already occurred. Investigation of serious incidents often reveal earlier incidents of a similar nature that were dismissed. Focusing on the lowest level can be part of the proactive process to make changes to health and safety measures that prevent occurrence of incidents.

Part of a successful Health & Safety Program is to ensure near misses are reported and investigated. Near misses and resulting inspections will help prevent an injury or even a fatality.

It is everyone’s responsibility at Qualico to report near misses.