It’s scary enough when workers onsite have an injury befall them, but it can be even more nervewracking if they come across a near-miss of an injury. A slip that doesn’t result in them falling or hitting anything but a tool crashing down can cause a quick jolt of stress that reminds them that at any moment they can face major injuries.

Issues like these can be tracked as “near-misses” and safety professionals can determine how and why they occurred, which in turn can help them take the right steps to make sure they don’t happen again and turn into real injuries the next time. Taking precautions can help bolster safety in the workplace and limit the need to dip into your workers’ compensation program coverage.

Here’s a more detailed look at these “near-misses” and why reporting them can help your company’s workers’ compensation program.

Reporting and Reacting

By collecting all the information you can from near misses, you’re helping to create a work environment that seeks to outline and control any hazards. In turn, this will help reduce risks and the potential for any harm.

Near misses can be ranked by the potential of their severity first. If something that happened could have brought on an injury or even death, a full-scale investigation is conducted. If a near miss creates a less-threatening condition, such as a trip and fall hazard, it can be abated and the risk can be made known to everyone onsite.

Any information that can be gathered and expressed to employees can help to cut down on future problems and create a culture of safety and awareness.

Employee Involvement

Employees should be encouraged to get involved in near-miss investigations, especially if they witness something occur. Workers should be trained and educated around how to properly identify and recognize potential risks and liabilities. Businesses can help make this process easier for employees to submit near misses and help shape quality and dependable data by being able to turn in near-miss reports anonymously.

By gathering as much data as possible, the potential for risks can be limited while safety and accountability can grow from the inside-out. This can also benefit a business by keeping workers’ compensation claims at bay. By keeping incidents low, workers’ compensation programs can stay intact as well as the health and safety of employees.

Boosting Success

Companies that install near-miss programs can start seeing the overall culture of safety rise due to awareness and education. However, success is based on the support of employees being involved. Businesses should be sure to continue to engage their employees and implore them to be upfront about the incidents that occurred, or almost occurred, really.

About InsureMyWorkComp

InsureMyWorkComp is a digital brokerage that helps clients find the right workers’ compensation solution for their business needs. Unlike other online platforms, we will help you to work with an agent who can provide you the right solution for your risk profile. Our staff has over 50 years of workers’ compensation underwriting and sales experience, and we are confident that we will provide you the support that you need. For more information or to get a quote, contact us today at (855) 340-9138.