Near Miss

A near miss is an unplanned event that did not cause injury or damage but had the potential to do so under slightly different circumstances.

A near miss is an incident that did not result in injury, ill health, or damage, but which had the potential to do so. Examples on site include a dropped tool that narrowly misses a worker, an unguarded edge spotted before anyone falls, or a vehicle and pedestrian coming close to a collision.

Reporting and investigating near misses is widely regarded as good practice because they reveal weaknesses in controls before harm occurs. While most near misses are not themselves reportable, some events with high potential for harm fall under RIDDOR as dangerous occurrences and must be reported to the HSE.

Encouraging a culture where workers report near misses without blame helps organisations learn from close calls and prevent more serious incidents in future.