8 Key Facts about Near Misses

1. Define ‘near miss’ broadly to include any conditions or events that could result in injury, death, or property or environmental damage.

2. You should require workers to report all near misses, preferably in writing.

3. But you shouldn’t let workers report them anonymously.

4. Workers should be trained on the importance of near misses and their role in managing these events.

5. You should discipline workers who don’t report near misses.

6. When a near miss is reported, you should investigate it, determine its causes and implement appropriate safety measures to address those causes.

7. Ideally, you should have a near miss program to allow you to effectively manage near misses.

8. Companies can be penalized for any safety violations or hazards that caused a near miss as well as any injuries that result from your failure to properly address the causes of a prior near miss.