Near Misses

https://avalanchenearmiss.org/

Avalanchenearmiss.org is a place for avalanche workers to tell their stories and share their experiences.

Avalanche accidents are often well documented by public sector investigators and published in volumes like The Snowy Torrents or Avalanche Accidents in Canada. The lessons learned from these reports are invaluable. Working with avalanches requires a wealth of experience, and a seasoned avalanche worker’s most valuable experiences often come from events that don’t end in injury or death – from near misses.

This project is patterned after a similar effort in the Firefighter and Law Enforcement communities. Nationalnearmiss.org has run successful near miss data collection and dissemination efforts in these communities for many years. Avalanchenearmiss.org is based on their work and built with their guidance. The database and submission form are designed to collect enough information to help others understand the near miss, help institutions and researchers look for trends, and make it as easy as possible for people to submit a report. You can learn more about near miss reporting from the National Safety Council.