What Does
Near Miss Mean?
A near miss is an unintentional incident that could have caused damage, injury or death but was narrowly avoided. In the context of safety, a near miss may be attributed to human error, or might be a result of faulty safety systems or processes in an organization.
A near miss may also be called a close call, near collision or near hit.
Safeopedia Explains Near Miss
Near miss events should be investigated, recorded and the experiences shared to lessen the chances of similar occurrences. Most workplace accidents are preceded by similar near misses that should act as warnings. As such, reporting of near misses is an established way of reducing risk in many organizations. Unfortunately, many others fail to encourage reporting of such incidents, which can ultimately lead to injury, fatality and other loss.