What is a Near Miss?

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) defines a near miss as an incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred. Near misses also may be referred to as close calls, near accidents, accident precursors, injury-free events and, in the case of moving objects, near collisions.

Cooper/T. Smith teams treat near misses as opportunities for reflect, learn, and improve. While near miss programs have helped our group of companies become safer, the success of any near miss program depends on a strong team who is tirelessly committed to reporting near miss incidents, and a dedicated management who uses those submission in a relentless pursuit to create learning opportunities and improve processes. A near miss has a 3-step life cycle:

1. SUBMISSION: Team members report near misses using the Near Miss Form.

   • Submit anonymously

   • Easily attach pictures from your phone or tablet

2. ACTION: The Safety Department reviews all submissions, and immediately takes appropriate action to ensure the safety of our teams

3. REVIEW: Near Miss information is shared with CTS team members on a regular basis to help prevent future accidents