Near Miss Reporting - National Safety Council

"What a heart-stopper – that could have been bad!"

"Now that was a close call."

Have you ever heard similar statements at work? Have you actually experienced a near miss while on the job? A near miss is an unplanned event that doesn't result in injury or death, but could have. Often these incidents – while they may leave you shaken, laughing or with a "good story" to tell when you get home from work – often are not reported. No harm done, right?

But by not reporting near misses, employees also are not doing anything to prevent more, potentially serious incidents from occurring in the future. Near misses occur every day in every industry, and most serious, catastrophic and loss-producing incidents are preceded by these warnings.

Develop a Near-Miss Program

Some organizations wait for losses to occur before taking steps to prevent them. But recognizing and reporting near misses can significantly improve worker safety.

In establishing a near-miss reporting system:

Leadership must establish a reporting culture
The reporting system must be non-punitive and anonymous
An investigation must follow to identify the root cause and weaknesses in the system
Investigation results provide the roadmap to improve safety systems
Results provide opportunities for training, feedback and a commitment to continued improvement

Employee Participation is Vital

Employees are uniquely suited to provide information on workplace near misses. How can employers encourage workers to participate in reporting?

Create policies and procedures that clearly explain near-miss reporting
Make the reporting system easy to understand and use
Promote a culture of reporting with the support of all managers and supervisors
Train all employees on the reasons near-miss reporting is necessary
Provide incentives for workers who report incidents

What is a Near Miss Really Telling You?

Develop a Near-Miss Program

Employee Participation is Vital

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