Toolbox Talk - Near Misses and Our Good Catch Program

Rooftop work in Virginia.

This week at Pine Energy, our toolbox talk is about near misses, and we're using it to introduce something new: the Pine Energy Good Catch Program.

Let’s begin with our toolbox talk.

OSHA defines a near miss as an incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred. A near miss is a near accident.

The difference between a near miss and an injury is often a fraction of a second, or an inch or two in one direction or another. That margin isn't guaranteed to be there next time.

Near misses have causes. Unsafe acts like improper lifting, walking under an overhead load, skipping PPE. Unsafe conditions can also cause near misses. These can be poorly maintained equipment, tools and cords left in walkways, debris in work areas, and even hurrying, a very simple one.

Near misses are a warning. Take a breath. See what’s going on. Fix it.

And then it’s important to report the near miss and educate the team. This brings us to the Good Catch Program.

Pine Energy has launched a formal safety reporting initiative for all employees. If someone spots a safety hazard, an unsafe condition, or a near miss on any Pine Energy job site, we want to hear about it. We’ve created a dedicated, internal email address at goodcatch@pineenergyllc.com, and teammates are asked to submit their near misses. Reports go directly to our safety team and are handled with discretion. Anonymous reports are honored, no questions asked.

What gets reported: unsafe conditions, near misses, missing or damaged PPE, weather hazards, and any behavior or situation that feels unsafe.

What happens next: our safety team reviews every report within 24 hours and takes the necessary steps to address it.

And what will never happen: retaliation. Pine Energy strictly prohibits any form of retaliation against employees who report safety concerns in good faith. Speaking up is always the right call.

A good catch today prevents an injury tomorrow. See something. Say something.