OSHA Claims

Q: Why do we need to report close calls when no one was really hurt?

LMC: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) strongly encourages employers to investigate all incidents in which a worker was hurt, as well as close calls (“near misses”), in which a worker might have been hurt if circumstances had been slightly different.

An incident is an unplanned, undesired event that adversely affects completion of a task. Near misses are incidents where no property was damaged and no personal injury sustained, but given a slight shift in time or position, damage and/or injury could have occurred.

There is a direct correlation between the number of near misses and serious injury accidents. Typically, 30 near misses result in 10 minor injuries, which result in a significant injury. Essentially, for every serious injury there have been 30 warnings. Are there times when you wish someone had warned you 30 times? Perhaps someone did but you didn’t listen?

Reporting near misses is a learning opportunity for the people involved. Completing the incident report forces those involved to review and think about the situation. The written report can be shared with other employees in safety groups, which provides another learning opportunity. Additionally, the close call should be investigated to determine its root cause. Awareness and getting to the root cause are keys to prevention.

Management should conduct a monthly review of losses and close calls, and review data from the past year. As a team, look for trends, brainstorm ideas to improve safety, or conduct a job hazard analysis of the most common incidents in order to reduce or prevent repeated situations. Record incidents using the Department of Labor and Industry Near-Miss Incident Report Form template available at bit.ly/near-miss-report.

Knowledge is power. Knowing where your accidents and injuries originate may help reduce or eliminate them going forward. 

Answered by Loss Control Representative Marc Dunker: [email protected]

Interview Panels

Q: We’ve been conducting a lot of hiring in my city recently. What are some resources I can use to help train interview panels?

LMC: Kudos! Training your interview panels is a great best practice, as training not only helps a city choose the best candidate for the job and avoid lawsuits. but also improves the job candidate’s experience.

The job market has been red-hot, and all employers want to put their best foot forward when recruiting top talent. Appreciating the candidate’s experience, including respecting their time, as well as practical things like understanding what will happen in the hiring process, what to ask, and (equally important) what not to ask, are great topics to cover in your training session.

Prior to conducting interviews, it can be helpful for interview panels to meet virtually or in-person to review the instruction sheet, interview questions, and job description. With many employers offering flexible work arrangements these days, organizational culture can be a big differentiator for job candidates.

Help prepare your interview panels by having them think through answers to questions like how supervisors support and motivate employees, how your organization celebrates success, and how your city furthers professional development.

The League offers several resources to help your city with interviewing, including incorporating open-ended and behavioral- based questions:

• HR Reference Manual, Chapter 2: Hiring at lmc.org/hiring
• Instructions for interview panels at lmc.org/interviewpanel
• Interview questions to avoid at lmc.org/donotaskquestions

Answered by Assistant Human Resources Director Joyce Hottinger: [email protected]

Minors on Committees/Commissions

Q: Can a minor be appointed to a city committee or commission?

LMC: There is no prescribed minimum age for commission or committee members in state statute. Minors may not serve in elected positions and there are hiring limitations on minors that cities should be aware of, though commission and committee positions are likely to be volunteer. (Learn about hiring limitations for minors in the League’s HR Reference Manual, Chapter 2: Hiring, page 79 at lmc.org/hiring.)

Cities will want to keep in mind that committees and commissions sometimes handle nonpublic information or sensitive topics. Consider the risks of sharing any nonpublic or sensitive information with minors who may lack maturity and a fully developed understanding of the long-range consequences of their actions.

It would be wise to develop a policy outlining the circumstances under which a minor may serve on committees or commissions, identify which committees or commissions are suitable for a minor to serve on, and implement an orientation and training program.

Answered by Research Analyst Angela Storlie: [email protected]