Near misses and learning Toolbox Talk
A near miss is a warning where luck prevented harm. Reporting it allows controls to be fixed before the same event injures someone.
Key points
- Make the area safe and obtain help before reporting.
- Report near misses promptly through the site system.
- Describe what happened, where, when and under what conditions.
- Preserve evidence without leaving a hazard in place.
- Look for system causes such as planning, equipment, workload and supervision.
- Share learning with people exposed to the same risk.
- Track corrective action to verified completion.
Do
- Report factual detail.
- Suggest practical controls.
- Recognise good-faith reporting.
Don't
- Do not hide an event because nobody was hurt.
- Do not blame before investigation.
- Do not close actions without checking effectiveness.
Questions to ask the group
- What counts as a near miss?
- How do we report one?
- Who confirms actions are complete?
References: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013