Toolbox Talk: Accidents, Unsafe Acts and
Near Misses

What is the difference between an accident, an unsafe act, and a near miss? Not a lot, but they all can end in severe injury or death. Usually, when someone is injured or there is property damage of some type, we call it an accident. An unsafe act is any hazard created as the result of human action or behavior. On the other hand, a near miss usually describes a close call where someone or something could have been hurt or damaged. Unfortunately for us, most of the time a near miss is never reported.

The triangle pictured here is called the Accident Pyramid. It represents what we know from statistics about how accidents, unsafe acts, and near misses relate to each other.

The Accident Pyramid tells us that:
• For every 300 to 400 unsafe acts that take place, one person will likely be killed.

• For every 150 near-miss situations, one person will likely be killed.

Along with the fatalities, you can see the number of minor and severe injuries that can be expected when unsafe acts and near-miss situations persist.

So, what can be done to reduce injuries and fatalities?
• Reduce the number of unsafe acts and the number of injuries and deaths will also decrease.

• Reduce the number of near-miss situations and injuries and deaths will also decrease.

We should never consider an accident, a near miss, or an unsafe act as unimportant. They should be reported to a supervisor immediately and action should be taken to improve the situation so that injuries and/or deaths do not follow, as statistics have shown they will.