Near-Misses and Your Electrical Safety Program: Are You Really a Learning Organization?

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The old cliché “No harm, no foul” may work on the ball field but it is a dangerous rule to live by, especially around electrical hazards. Statistics show that for every fatal accident, there are many risky behaviors that do not result in injuries and may go unnoticed. OSHA defines a near miss as “an incident in which a worker might have been hurt if the circumstances had been slightly different.” It may take only a minor change in circumstances for an unsafe act to become fatal. Investigations into near misses often focus on employee behavior and not the actual reasons why the behavior occurred. Near misses are often not reported, and when they are, rigid safety rules may result in adverse action such as suspension or termination.

When near-misses go unexamined, organizations lose the ability to learn the lessons and train their employees so that risky behaviors do not happen again. Organizations need to change how leaders, managers, supervisors, and field employees think about near misses and their potential effects.

Learning objectives:

• Understand current best practices in behavioral safety management.
• Review case examples and common safety oversights.
• Hear about the advantages of near-miss reporting and investigation.
• Consider “causation analysis” as a means to improve near-miss reporting effectiveness.
• Discuss the need for a shift in leaders and employees' reactions to near misses.
• Learn how becoming a learning organization can improve the safety culture.

Presented By:
Stephen Hester, Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional, NETA Level II Technician, and Training Director, Saber Power

Moderated By:
Tyler Wall, Associate Editor, CFE Media and Technology