First published on Thursday, Oct 26, 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 near miss incidents can even exhibit some likenesses with your favourite horror film…
So, here are 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.
So, 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 wince-inducing white-knuckle scenes of near-miss incidents that fill viewers with dread.
Believe it or not, those nail-biters bear some similarities to real-life health & safety incidents.
Take this for example, one employee of a client was spotted on a roof at a height of around 40 feet—without a harness or any safety gear!
Luckily, the employee didn’t come to any harm, but one misstep, or a particularly strong gust of wind could have had tragic consequences…
The dismemberment (almost)
If that’s not enough to make you recoil, how about when one client’s employee narrowly avoided dismemberment when a fan belt broke on some machinery, causing a piece of metal to fly out at full throttle.
Fortunately, the metal piece hit a wall instead of a person, but one employee did sustain a broken wrist as a result of the incident.
This serves as a valuable reminder that conducting regular maintenance and routine checks on all your machinery is vital to maintaining a safe workplace.
The slice of mystery
With all good thrillers, there’s usually an element of mystery… just like in this case where the serrated kitchen knives went missing from the utensil drawer.
Thankfully, there were no Micheal Myers-esque incidents, and instances like these can usually be chalked up to a misunderstanding.
But you can never be too careful, especially when you’re the person bearing responsibility for health & safety at work, and that’s why procedures must be followed.
The slippery mishap
This case was more slapstick than horrific, but in true old-school Scooby Doo style, one client’s employee slipped on a banana.
That’s right. Danger really can be everywhere.
The smoking gun
Of course, no blockbuster is complete without a massive explosion… and one client almost got one when an employee was caught smoking in a propane cage.
Luckily, an explosion was averted but you don’t need a degree in chemistry to know that this is fraught with risk—and a serious blast.
Shockingly, this wasn’t the employee’s first offence, highlighting the need for more robust warnings and additional training for the team
Avoiding the scare of workplace incidents
As all movies have takeaway messages, there are many learnings from these logged incidents, namely the importance of following robust health & safety practices and the need for employers to take proactive measures to maintain the safety and wellbeing of their employees.
That’s why you should prioritize conducting regular risk assessments, provide proper training and protective equipment, and encourage open communication with your staff to correctly identify potential hazards.
By implementing these measures, and by logging all incidents, you can create a safer work environment and prevent injuries/illnesses from happening.
BrightSafe software, helps you safeguard your business from over 200 risks, reduce hazards and prevent injuries/illnesses with real-time reporting and, make sure you’re meeting your legal obligations with an accurate digital paper trail.
Plus, our e-learning platform, BrightLearn is loaded with industry standard health & safety e-courses, to make sure your employees are aware of all potential workplace health & safety incidents.
To learn more about BrightSafe book a free demo today.