Near miss
An event that did not result in injury, ill health or damage but had the potential to do so. Commonly treated as a leading indicator for safety management but may lack a statutory definition.
Also known as
By jurisdiction
UK HSE
“near miss”SharedHSE guidance defines a near miss as an event not causing harm but which has the potential to cause injury or ill health. It is not defined in RIDDOR 2013.
Irish HSA
“near miss”SharedUsed in HSA guidance to describe an event without harm but with potential for harm. No single statutory definition in Irish legislation.
US OSHA
“near miss”SharedNot defined as a recordable event in 29 CFR 1904. OSHA encourages voluntary internal reporting of near misses.
Practitioner note: Near misses are not RIDDOR-reportable or OSHA-recordable but are among the most valuable safety signals available. Every near miss should be investigated.