A “close call” result with a work site or place accident is easy to shrug off and forget about. These instances should throw up a red flag and be the perfect opportunity to prevent a serious injury in the future. Whenever a close call occurs, 3 important steps need to be put into action: identify the cause(s), report to supervisor or foreman, take corrective actions.

Every accident will have a cause and sometimes multiple factors for that cause. These can range from an equipment failure (unguarded machine or improper use), an environmental influence (weather, noise or lighting) or human error (lack of communication, PPE usage or poor concentration). Once a close call occurs, taking the time to identify the cause(s) is critical to taking the next step to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Job site supervisors and foremen are ultimately responsible for the safety culture on a site. Whether an accident results in an injury or not, that accident needs to be reported to the proper chain of command. is communication will allow the supervisor to assess what types of controls (engineering or administrative) or additional training are needed to prevent the exposure in the future.

The best corrective action is usually being “proactive” with safety. However, accidents can and will still occur. If luck is on your side and the accident results in a close call, this is the sign you need to take action. Proper assessment of the cause, timely reporting to management is the best way to achieve that corrective action. It’s both the workers and supervisor’s responsibility to take a close call seriously to prevent injury and or property damage down the road.

The material in this topic is based on principles and techniques to assist with improving safety culture. It is intended to provide guidance, rather than prescribe requirements, and is not intended as a legal interpretation of any state or federal standard. OSHA standards for general industry and construction can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html. WBS and CSS can assist you by providing risk management tools, resources and services but cannot implement, enforce or oversee.