Near-miss form

Near misses can have a detrimental effect on your business in terms of property damage and loss of productivity. Therefore, record details of any that occur on a dedicated form.

Dealing with near misses

A near miss is the term used to describe an incident which had the potential to cause an injury. “Close calls” and “near hits” are other terms often used in the same context. Investigating the causes of such incidents can identify underlying problems, which, if not dealt with, may lead to a serious accident. To formally record and analyse these near misses, use our Near-miss Form.

More information

The document starts by asking for basic details, including the time and date and moves on to the finer points, including a request for information on any machinery/equipment involved. Next, the document provides space to list the names of witnesses.

Get the facts

It’s important to interview the witnesses as soon as possible after the event in question - this will provide you with the most accurate and useful information. If you leave it a few days, memories will start to fade. As part of the investigation try to identify: “What was happening immediately before the accident?” and “Detail any factors that may have contributed to the accident, i.e. time of day, weather conditions, lighting, other.” The form also asks you to “Describe the incident sequence”. Using photographs will save you from writing in-depth descriptions of the scene.