A near miss, also known as a “close call,” is an unplanned event at work that didn’t cause injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to—a split-second away from an accident.
For example, imagine you’re carrying a heavy box up a stairwell and stumble—your foot slips, but you grab the railing and avoid falling. That’s a near miss. You walked away unhurt, but things could have easily gone differently.
Why Understanding Near Misses Matters
Near misses matter because they are warning signs—little red flags waving at us. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines them as incidents that could have caused harm if not for “a slight shift in time or position”.
Research shows that for every serious injury, there may be hundreds of near misses beforehand. Frank Bird’s study of 1.7 million incident reports found about a 600-to-1 ratio of near misses to serious injuries. Another version of Heinrich’s triangle—updated accident pyramid theory—suggests that about 90 near misses could precede a serious accident.
That means every near miss is a free opportunity for prevention. When logged and investigated, it’s often much cheaper and easier to fix a problem before it causes actual harm.
Differentiating Near Miss from Hazard and Accident
A hazard is a potential threat, like a puddle on the floor. A near miss is when someone comes within inches of slipping on that puddle but doesn’t fall. An accident occurs when the slip leads to injury.
Practical Workplace Insight
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Hazard: You notice a frayed extension cable across a walkway.
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Near Miss: Someone trips over the cable but catches themselves—no harm done this time.
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Accident: Next shift, someone trips and breaks a wrist.
Many safety programs lump near misses and hazards together, but distinguishing them helps: hazards are potential risks; near misses are risks that were nearly realized. You can only stop accidents by paying close attention to near misses and fixing root causes, not just clearing hazards on sight.
Why Reporting Near Misses Strengthens Safety Culture
When employees consistently report near misses, it signals an engaged, proactive safety culture. It sends the message: “We care about prevention, not blame.”
How It Works in the Workplace
Suppose Jane in the warehouse spots someone almost crushed between a forklift and a shelving unit. She reports her near miss in the safety log. Supervisors investigate and discover that the aisle is too narrow. They widen it, rearrange pathways, and add bumper guards.
By sharing the report and improvement steps across shifts, everyone notices the company cares, not just about fixing issues, but listening to employees who spot them. That trust leads to more reporting, which leads to fewer actual injuries.
Types of Near Misses and Practical Examples
Slips, Trips, Falls
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Example: A worker slips on leaked coolant at the assembly line but recovers in time.
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Fix: Immediately clean up, mark the area, fix the leak, and add mats—prevents a serious fall.
Equipment or Machinery Hazards
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Example: A machine guard is missing; a worker almost reaches into spinning gears.
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Fix: Shut down machine, install guard, retrain team—prevents severe laceration.
Hazardous Materials
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Example: An unlabeled chemical container is found leaking near heat sources.
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Fix: Secure dumping protocols, label, train team—avoid fire, burn injuries.
Working at Heights
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Example: A scaffold planks shift under someone, who stops in time.
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Fix: Inspect and secure the caffold daily, enforce harness use—prevents falls.
Narrow Escapes and Safety Behaviors
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Example: Two workers toss heavy tools, and a third narrowly avoids being hit.
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Fix: Ban horseplay, enforce tool handling training.
Investigating a Near Miss—Turning Insight into Action
Reporting a near miss is just the first step. Effective investigation digs into why it happened and how to eliminate it.
Investigation Steps
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Gather Info: When and where did it occur? Who was involved? What conditions existed?
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Root Cause Analysis: Ask “why” at least five times.
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Develop Action Plan: Could be engineering fixes, administrative controls, or training.
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Communicate & Train: Share findings and actions with staff.
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Follow Up: Ensure changes were implemented and working.
Example at a Construction Site
When a worker trips on uneven ground during excavation, an investigation reveals that the temporary access ramp was poorly constructed. The solution: a formal ramp spec, routine checks, and staff training on proper setup. After this near miss, no similar trips occurred for months.
Measuring Near Miss Reporting and Its ROI
A safety culture isn’t just about documenting reports—it’s about measuring.
Metrics to Track
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Reporting Rate: Number of near misses per month.
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Ratio to Accidents: Compare near misses to actual incidents—a high ratio is good if responses are timely.
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Response Time: How fast fixes are implemented.
In one organization, a consistent flow of near-miss reports and prompt fixes led to a 95% drop in actual incidents over a year.
Insight for Managers
Celebrate increased near-miss reporting—not as failures, but signs of engagement. Then highlight improvements and cost savings in audits and safety meetings.
Encouraging Reporting Through “Just Culture”
Fear of blame holds people back. A just culture encourages reporting without punishment.
How to Build It
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Anonymous Reporting: Allow anonymous submissions.
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Positive Feedback: Praise people who report near misses.
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Regular Reviews: Every report is reviewed by the safety committees.
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Share Stories: In weekly meetings, discuss near misses and what was fixed.
Real-World Story
One company posted near-miss bulletins—they rewarded reports with a quarterly “safety star” award. Reports tripled, and serious incidents dropped significantly within six months.
Near Miss vs Stop-Work Authority
In workplace safety, you’ll see two common safety tools: Near-miss reporting and stop-work authority.
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A near miss happens through chance—no immediate danger, but a close call.
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A stop‑work authority empowers anyone to halt a hazardous operation immediately.
Combined Impact
Imagine you see a scaffold with unstable planks. You have stop‑work authority—so you halt work immediately. Then file a near-miss report, initiating an investigation. This two-pronged approach allows both immediate action and deeper organizational learning.
Integrating Near Misses into Broader Safety Systems
Near misses shouldn’t be standalone—they belong in your overall Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and safety programs.
How to Integrate
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JSA Update: When a near miss happens, revise the JSA for that job.
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Safe Operating Procedures: Add photos or videos showing near-miss scenarios.
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Ongoing Training: Use real events to teach workers what to watch out for.
This makes safety real, not theoretical.
Personal Insight: Learning from a Walkie-Talkie Near Miss
I once walked behind a co‑worker who rode a powered pallet jack in reverse, without looking. I nearly got clipped. It was a near miss—but I reported it.
Quick fix: we added reversing beepers and high-visibility vests. Then, a “buddy check” before each shift. That one report improved awareness and safety across the entire shift.
Key Takeaways
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“Close call” or “near hit” incidents are unplanned, injury-free events that almost caused harm.
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They differ from hazards (potential), incidents (actual minor harm), and accidents (serious harm).
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Reporting, investigating, and acting on near misses builds a proactive safety culture, boosting employee engagement, continuous improvement, and cost savings.
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Combining near-miss logging with stop-work authority empowers quick fixes and system-wide learning.
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Integrating into JSA, training, and safety reviews ensures near misses become lasting safety improvements.
Final Word
A near miss is more than just a momentary “phew!”—it’s an invitation to investigate, improve, and protect. When workplaces treat near misses as valuable signals, not nuisances, they create safer environments and save lives and money.
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Encourage reporting with no blame.
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Act fast with investigations and fixes.
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Measure improvements and share wins.
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Integrate learnings into ongoing safety plans.
What is a near miss? It’s your chance to stop accidents before they happen. Make every “close call” count.
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