Near-misses inform home safety
Practice behavior at work that reinforces safety at home whenever potential risk is at play.
A near-miss is the accident that could have happened—but didn’t.
At workplaces like Sanford Underground Research Facility (Sanford Lab), near-miss incidents must be reported immediately and generally involve a stop work order.
“Near-misses should be taken as seriously as an accident that actually occurred,” said Brett Stenson, senior safety specialist. “These incidents indicate that, either a hazard was not recognized before work began, or an acknowledged hazard was not appropriately dealt with. Once reported, these incidents serve to guide and alter future work planning and operations.”
But what about the near-misses that happen at home?
Often, we engage in risky behaviors in the home to get jobs done quickly. Such behaviors include standing on chairs, using ladders without anyone steadying the base, using improper tools or not wearing the correct gloves, footwear or eye protection for a given task. At home, a near-miss might look like almost slipping on an icy sidewalk or spilling water just inches away from an electric appliance. If nothing bad actually happens, it is easy to label the event a “close call” and continue the unsafe behavior.
According to the National Safety Council, “The goal of total safety is to get people to model safe work behaviors and instill them at home.”
How that can happen is simple: Practice behavior at work that reinforces safety at home whenever potential risk is at play.
Safety planning isn’t exclusive to the workplace—it must also be practiced at home. While on-the-job injury rates continue to decline, the number and rate of unintentional deaths at home are rising at alarming paces. These events are a solemn reminder that safety shouldn’t end when the workday does.
“At home or on the job, near-misses should serve as a warning, followed by actions taken to prevent the accident that will eventually happen,” said Stenson. “Paying attention to near misses is one part of the diligence required to keep us all safe and healthy—luck is not!”
For more information on maintaining a safe home environment, visit the National Safety Council’s website.
The Sanford Underground Research Facility and the Environment, Safety and Health Department promote health and safety in the workplace, as well as healthy living and wellness for all employees. If you have questions about health and wellness, please contact our occupational health nurse, Laura Baatz, who is onsite daily at lbaatz@sanfordlab.org.