A student slips near a cliff edge but is caught by a friend. A canoe nearly capsizes in a sudden gust of wind but recovers at the last second. A bus swerves to avoid a collision.
In the aftermath, the overwhelming feeling is relief. We wipe our brows and say, "Phew, that was a near miss." But according to decades of risk management experience, that might be one of the most dangerous phrases in outdoor education.
The problem is that a "near miss" isn't a miss at all. It was a direct hit that was only averted by pure luck. By dismissing it, we rob ourselves of a priceless learning opportunity—one that could prevent a future tragedy.
Why the Term "Near Miss" Diminishes Safety
When we label an event a "near miss," we subtly reframe a failure as a success. It encourages a culture of "thank God that didn't happen... now let's not tell anybody about it".
As risk management expert Paul Tame explains, the very term diminishes the potential severity of what could have happened. It psychologically allows us to move on without digging deeper.
Perhaps we need to rename it. Call it a "Learning Event," a "Good Catch," or a "Precursor Incident." Because what these events truly are, is a warning. They are a free lesson, delivered without the cost of an actual injury or fatality.
It's Never One Thing: Uncovering the Chain of Events
Close calls are invaluable because they allow us to see the cracks in our systems. An incident is rarely a single point of failure; it's a chain of events leading to a critical moment.
Think of it like this:
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An instructor was fatigued.
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The group was running 15 minutes behind schedule.
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A piece of equipment hadn't been double-checked.
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The weather was turning faster than forecast.
Any one of these issues could have been managed in isolation. But together, they created a chain that led directly to a dangerous situation. In a "near miss," luck was the only thing that prevented that final link from breaking. The real learning isn't in the final moment; it's in understanding how all the previous links in the chain failed.
How to Build a Culture That Learns from Close Calls
So, why don't staff always report these incidents?
Fear of blame
If leaders point fingers, staff will hide their mistakes, and you will never find out about the small problems until they become big ones. The key to unlocking these lessons is building a culture where staff feel comfortable coming forward.
1. Leaders Go First. The mark of a great leader is the ability to say, "I stuffed up". When program managers and directors are humble and openly admit their own mistakes whether in logistics, planning, or support it gives staff permission to be honest, too.
2. Make it Blameless. The goal of a debrief is not to assign blame but to understand what led to the situation. When people become defensive, the learning stops.
3.
Dedicate the Time. Don't rush through debriefs. With multiple groups in the field, you could spend an entire day just working on close calls, and it would be time well spent. These events are a powerful, contextual training tool for all staff.
By shifting from blame to curiosity, you transform your team from one that hides errors to one that actively seeks them out to improve the entire system.
