Analyzing Near-Misses Is Key to An Effective Safety Plan
Safety is everybody’s business in the construction world because the consequences of failure can be catastrophic, as demonstrated by the major crane accidents that kill dozens of people every year. In this light, it is critically important to study near-misses—accidents that never happen because trained and concerned persons are on the scene, a serious safety program is in place or just, plain dumb luck saved the day.
The recent case involving a cracked casting in a tower-crane mast at the Blue-Cross building extension in Chicago is a good example of how a near-miss should be handled. The operator heard a loud “pop” and shut down the crane to investigate. After finding a crack in the crane, work was halted in a decision that ultimately involved the general contractor, crane owner, project owner and manufacturer. The crack also set off an intensive investigation and the inspection of many cranes to see if the problem was generic. The picture might have been completely different if the operator had chosen to continue work.