What constitutes a near-miss and why should it be reported promptly?

What constitutes a near-miss and why should it be reported promptly?

• A. A planned drill that failed.
• B. An event that never occurred.
• C. An incident that could have caused harm but did not; reporting enables corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• D. A minor incident that caused harm.

Answer: (C)

Near-miss means an event that could have caused injury or damage but didn’t, often due to luck or protective measures in place. Reporting it promptly is essential because it triggers investigation and corrective actions to remove hazards and prevent recurrence. Capturing near-miss information helps identify risk patterns, improve procedures or training, fix equipment, and strengthen overall safety so a similar situation doesn’t lead to harm in the future. The other scenarios don’t fit: a planned drill that failed is an exercise outcome, not a near-miss; an event that never occurred isn’t an incident; a minor incident that caused harm already involved harm, so it isn’t a near-miss.

Near-miss means an event that could have caused injury or damage but didn’t, often due to luck or protective measures in place. Reporting it promptly is essential because it triggers investigation and corrective actions to remove hazards and prevent recurrence. Capturing near-miss information helps identify risk patterns, improve procedures or training, fix equipment, and strengthen overall safety so a similar situation doesn’t lead to harm in the future. The other scenarios don’t fit: a planned drill that failed is an exercise outcome, not a near-miss; an event that never occurred isn’t an incident; a minor incident that caused harm already involved harm, so it isn’t a near-miss.