Tap That Hat
by Carol Mass, MS, LAT, ATC
What makes someone skip on reporting a near miss? Fear of consequences, embarrassment, normalizing risks at work, or a disbelief in action from leadership could all play its part in not reporting a near miss. According to the Accident Triangle recognized by OSHA, researchers Heinrich and Bird estimate that for every one serious injury accident there are 600 near misses. This means that if we can create a culture in our workplace that increases reports of near misses we can prevent any serious injury to ourselves or our coworkers.
Challenge Under Review
Have you heard about the new Automated Ball Strike (ABS) Challenge system in Major League Baseball? Basically, this new rule allows the catcher, the pitcher, or the hitter on the field to challenge a ball or strike call in real time. The coaches and staff can’t issue a challenge. Just the players on the field making the call by tapping their hat.
At work, near misses function the same way. The people closest to the action, are the ones responsible for calling it out. That’s you! When something doesn’t look right, it’s the role of the industrial athlete to help bring attention to it, so the system can step in and make the adjustment before it turns into something bigger.
Challenging Times
Paying attention to the small details and subtle nuances of your environment can help overturn those near misses into opportunities for awareness and action. Here are some ways we can confidently approach reporting near misses and diminish the fear of consequences:
Support Your Team: Whenever someone calls out a near miss, back them up like they just hit the winning home run of the game! Reporting the near miss might have prevented you or another teammate from being injured – the ultimate WIN.
Avoid Complacency: Work should not be dangerous. Even if it was normal to work in an environment that had near misses daily, push for change. This should never be the norm.
Speak Up, Together: If a near miss happens, collaborate with your coworkers to report it together. We are stronger together and fear of being powerless to authority or fear of consequences can often be squashed by numbers of employees supporting us!
Follow Through: If you doubt that reporting a near miss will lead to change, consistently check in with your safety team about the progress of necessary improvements.
Stop & Report: If you suspect that a task is unsafe, stop what you and your colleagues are doing. Seek the assistance of a safety professional to address your concerns and collaborate on implementing changes for a safer work environment.
Remember, no job task or workload is worth risking your safety or your life. Minor issues can have grave consequences further down the line, and quality reports of near misses and safety incidents gives your employer the opportunity to improve workplace safety before an incident happens. Don’t be afraid to “tap the hat” whenever you experience or witness a near miss.
Carol Mass, MS, LAT, ATC || Carol is a Certified Athletic Trainer with over 10 years of experience managing musculoskeletal injuries. She has worked in the high school, clinic and industrial settings. She spends her free time roller blading, hiking, and watching horror movies with her family, pet pig, and dogs.
Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips for the industrial athlete from Work Right!