Explanation
A scaffold element falls next to a colleague, a forklift narrowly misses someone, a chemical is almost spilled. Nobody is hurt and there is no damage, but it could have happened. That makes a near miss valuable: you learn from it without casualties.
Whoever reports a near miss gives the organisation the chance to tackle the cause. That only works if reporting feels safe and something is done with it: you investigate the cause and take a measure. Many organisations therefore offer a low-threshold reporting route, for example through an app or QR code.
Near misses say a lot about safety culture. Many reports usually do not mean it is less safe, but that people dare to report. The difference with an unsafe situation: in a near miss something actually happened, while an unsafe situation is a hazard you spot before anything happens.
Example from practice
An employee slips on a wet floor but manages to hold on. He reports it in the app with a photo, the floor gets an anti-slip treatment and the department gets a toolbox talk about housekeeping.
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