Definition - What does Workplace Incident mean?
A workplace incident is a random, isolated circumstance that may or may not result in property damage to a workspace coupled with the absence of an injury or illness sustained by the individual(s) involved following the event. Also called a near miss, workplace incidents account for a sizable percentage of intermittent occasions attributable to faulty engineering or human error oversights, spurring corrective measures to uphold the health and safety infrastructure.
SureHire explains Workplace Incident
While accidents and incidents operate as interchangeable terms, the distinction lies with workplace incidents serving as a deterrent against future contingencies that can lead to an accident where injuries or fatalities can occur. Data report cases highlight that the number of workplace incidents proportionally outweighs statistics related to the frequency of accidents, warranting a more preventative approach to identify and eliminate hazards to offset potential liabilities.
Though health and safety policies furnish a barometer for employees to remain vigilant against legitimate hazards, individuals must rely on conscious awareness for handling job tasks or navigating between set destination points. The challenge falls under the assumption that humans are subject to erroneous/negligent actions, further eroding the process to find common ground to preclude workplace incidents or minimize (at best) their occurrence, tempering the accident rate. Reporting workplace incidents contributes to the overall health and safety quotient, supporting the need to promote compatible interests between employers and employees by building rapport, fostering incentive strategies, and leveraging protocol to deter accidents.
