ABSTRACT
The concept of reporting a near miss incident may seem strange to many laser users. It's almost of a "no harm, no foul" mentality. The majority of laser-related near misses are not so much the beam whizzing past someone's ear but rather procedural violation. A thorough near miss investigation has the potential to identify overlooked physical, environmental, or process hazards, the need for new or more engineering controls, or safety training, or unsafe work practices. The supervisor of the employee involved in the near miss is responsible for conducting the investigation and, when appropriate, ensuring that corrective actions are taken. The depth and complexity of the investigation will vary with the circumstances and seriousness of the incident. Investigators must maintain objectivity throughout the investigation. The purpose of the investigation is to uncover any factors that may have led to the accident, not to assign blame.
