Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions poster

Most safety reporting systems sort what people see into three kinds. An unsafe condition is a hazard in the workplace itself, such as a missing guard or oil on the floor. An unsafe act is a way of doing the work that adds risk, such as reaching past a guard or skipping PPE. A near miss is an event that could have hurt someone and didn't. This poster defines all three with examples, and reminds the reader that an unsafe act usually has a reason in the system, so the question is why it made sense at the time.

Download the poster

The PNG is free to download now. The print-ready vector PDFs open after a short form, once.

Download PNG (300 dpi)2550 x 3300 px, prints at 8.5 x 11 in · 398 KB · no form

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Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions poster — 24 x 36 in18 x 24 inA2A3LetterA4PNG 300 dpi

The words on the poster

Act, condition or near miss?

Name it right, report it, and fix the cause.

Condition Unsafe condition: a hazard in the workplace. Missing guard, oil on the floor. Frayed cable, blocked exit.
Act Unsafe act: working in a way that adds risk. Reaching past a guard. Skipping PPE, taking a shortcut.
Near miss Near miss: could have hurt, but didn't. A box falls where someone stood. A truck stops just short of a person.

Ask why the act made sense at the time. Then fix that cause.

On the floor

How to use it

Putting the Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions poster to work

1
Post it next to the hazard report box or QR code, so people know which box to tick.
2
Use the examples in a quiz at a toolbox talk: act, condition or near miss?
3
When an unsafe act is reported, ask why it made sense at the time before deciding the fix.
4
Pair it with the see it, say it, fix it poster.

Where the poster goes and how to teach with it, in the order to try them.

Which size to print

24 x 36 in or A2: a main wall or team board, read from a few metres away.
18 x 24 in or A3: a station or notice board. The A3 file also fits 11 x 17 in paper.
Letter or A4: a clipboard, binder or handout, on any office printer.

Every PDF is vector, so it stays sharp at full size. Nothing runs to the edge of the page, so no bleed is needed.