The Basic Principle of Safety

A basic principle of safety can be illustrated by the accident triangle. This principle states that for each accidental death that occurs, there are X instances of human injury, Y instances of property damage, and Z instances of what we will call Near Misses (in which the hazardous situation exists but an accident does not occur). Common examples of Near Miss behavior include smoking in bed, or running a red light. This safety principle reasons that the best way to avoid death, injury and property loss is to stay out of the Near Miss zone.