First published on Friday, Oct 27, 2023
Last updated on Friday, Oct 27, 2023
With Halloween just around the corner, it’s the time of year that things go bump in the night… or should we say bump on your head?
The world of health and safety is one full of jump scares. One wrong move and you could find yourself face-to-face with a nasty injury—or worse, death. And no, we’re not being dramatic.
It may surprise you, but health & safety near misses can even have a lot in common with your favourite horror film…
We’re taking you through some of the petrifying near-misses that real clients have logged on our BrightSafe software, which makes keeping your business and your people safe and on the right side of health & safety laws quick and easy.
Pass the popcorn because these will have you on the edge of your seat…
The close encounter
The horror fans among us will be familiar with the Final Destination franchise. And the torturous scenes inflicted on viewers, believe it or not, bear some similarities to real-life health & safety near-misses.
For example, one employee of a client narrowly avoided a gory situation when he decided to stop for a breather and lean on a glass panel window—which then collapsed.
Luckily, he was unharmed, but the reality could have been fatal. Imagine how this story would have ended if that window hadn’t been on the ground floor...
The (almost) dismemberment
If that’s not enough to make you recoil, how about the client’s employee who just missed a ceiling tile falling on their head?
Thankfully everyone headed out of this near miss unharmed, but we dread to think about the headache if they hadn’t.
Though they may have suffered a mild case of shock, this serves as a valuable reminder that caution can go a long way. Like ensuring all moving parts are secured properly, and that workers wear PPE, including hard hats, where required.
The eerie escape from death
Reminiscent of the plot twist-loving filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s Devil, one client’s employee suffered everyone’s worst nightmare—being trapped in a lift.
We know real life isn’t a movie or half as terrifying as a horror movie plot. But it’s still a situation you’d much rather avoid, with something as easy as adequate maintenance procedures.
The unwanted intruder
With all good thrillers, there’s usually a twist. Perhaps an unexpected guest makes an appearance.
A little bit like this case, except in this instance the unexpected guest was a cleaner who went into the wrong house believing that they were following instructions and entering their client’s home.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the homeowner did not receive the drop-in as a pleasant surprise and responded aggressively.
A cautionary tale on the importance of double-checking information and having the right policies in place to protect lone workers.
The dreaded all-nighter
Of course, all the most memorable horror movie scenes happen at night...but this client’s employee didn’t want to stick around for the jump scare.
He was pulling a late night at the office only to find that all his colleagues had left earlier in the day and locked him in the premises.
Feeling spooked, and likely homesick he broke a window to escape.
At the risk of sounding preachy, this near miss does highlight the need to have proper procedures in place to avoid employees panicking and taking matters into their own hands. Particularly when it comes to closing up at the end of the day.
Avoiding the scare of near misses
As all movies have takeaway messages, there are many learnings from these logged near-miss incidents, namely the importance of following robust health & safety practices and the need for employers to take proactive measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their employees.
That’s why you should prioritise regular risk assessments, provide proper training and protective equipment, and encourage open communication with your staff to identify potential hazards.
By implementing these measures, and by logging all near-misses, you can create a safer work environment and prevent accidents from happening.
With BrightSafe software, you can safeguard your business from almost 400 risks, reduce hazards and prevent incidents with real-time reporting and, make sure you are in line with the law with an accurate digital paper trail.
Plus, with BrightLearn loaded with a wide range of health & safety e-learning courses, you can make sure your employees are aware of all potential workplace health & safety incidents.
To learn more about BrightSafe book a free demo today.