While the gym is a place that most people go to improve their physical fitness, there can be a lot of safety risks there if you're not careful.

One gym-goer had a very near miss during a visit to the gym and we're not just talking a slight bruise here but a potentially very serious injury indeed.

Fortunately, on this occasion, we didn't get to find out exactly how serious it could have been.

Reddit / Candypants24

A video posted to Reddit shows what seems to be CCTV footage from a gym, where people are just going about their business, pumping iron, doing general gym things.

One man can be seen sat on a workout bench in the centre of the screen, perhaps resting between a set. Unknown to him, there is another gym-goer unloading weights from a barbell.

Now, when unloading a barbell, it's always important to unload the weights one at a time and alternating between each side.

That second part is particularly crucial for reasons that become very clear in the video.

As the man removes the last weight from one side of the barbell, the weights left on the other side cause it to fall from the rest it is being kept on.

It then hits the floor and sends the other end, a weighty piece of metal itself, hurtling directly towards the face of the man resting on the workout bench.

It could have been very nasty indeed, as the bars themselves can be pretty heavy even without weights on and the momentum of landing on the floor.

Think a medieval mace being swung directly at your face and you'd be on the right track.

Reddit / Candypants24

Fortunately, another gym-goer had been passing by at exactly the right moment.

With his incredibly quick reflexes, he manages to just catch the flailing barbell before it makes impact.

That's quite a lucky escape.

And people on social media were quick to come in with their thoughts on the incident.

One wrote: "Bro was about to be final destination’d."

Another felt that the person removing the weights should have been banned from the gym, writing: "Should be an immediate ban from that gym.

"Everyone knows you can only safely have 1 20kg plate on 1 side so you have to alternate in taking off weights. This could have been his freaking death..."

A third wrote: "Damn that was close. Completely irresponsible from the other guy unloading all the weights on one side at once."

If there's any advice to take away from this, always unload your barbell alternating the sides to stop it turning into a potentially lethal weapon.