OSHA defines a near miss as “an incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred.” 

All safety professionals know that near-miss reporting is invaluable. Reports of near misses provide an organization with insight into potential hazards, training opportunities, and data for risk calculations.  However, the reliability of workers self-reporting can vary greatly from organization to organization.

Every job has hazards, and if those hazards are not appropriately handled then any job can become a dangerous one. This is why every organization is required to have a safety plan. This creation and implementation of workplace safety measures is heavily reliant on self-reporting of near misses. However, near misses are not always reported. It is important to understand the reasons behind this lack of reporting, how to resolve it, and what else can be done in order to ensure workplace safety and worker health. 

How Frequently Are Near Misses Not Reported?

According to a survey by Accident Advice Helpline, 1 in 6 workers responded that they would not report workplace hazards. That is in spite of the fact that 25% of those surveyed confirmed that either they or someone they knew had been harmed at work. 

This reluctance to report extends beyond hypothetical hazards. National Safety Council’s Journal of Safety Research’s survey reported that over 1 in 4 workers (27%) had not reported an injury that they themselves sustained in the workplace. 

It is hard to identify how frequently or infrequently a near miss is reported. If someone is not reporting a near miss, it is unlikely that they will then report how many times they did not report. Near Miss Accident Theory proposes that for every one major accident there are 10 time lost accidents, 30 property losses, and 600 near misses. If your organization is not seeing the proportionate number of near misses to major or time lost accidents, then it is highly likely that near misses are being underreported. 

These unreported near misses have a very large impact on the organization. As such, it is important to work towards rectifying the issue and ensuring that workers are reporting any hazards, accidents, and near misses. 

Why Are Near Misses Not Reported? 

There are many different reasons why workers would not report a near miss. Before solving for under-reporting, it is first important to understand why workers would not report. 

One reason that a near miss may go unreported is simply because a worker was unaware of it. For example, many workers are unaware of electrical hazards in their workplace, making them a higher risk for electrical injury or electrocution. If a worker is unaware of a near miss occurring, then they cannot report it. 

Reporting of near misses can also be impacted by the reporting process itself. If the process is too bureaucratic or takes too much time, workers are less inclined to report. If a worker views the process as “too complicated” or is unsure of who to report an issue to, this will also decrease the likelihood of them reporting it. Workers may also simply be unaware that it is their responsibility to report near misses, believe the hazard does not impact them, or be unsure of what qualifies as a near miss. All of these factors will lower the chances of an employee reporting a near miss.

Workplace culture also comes into play with likelihood of reporting. Employees may fear getting in trouble for reporting the hazard or for being in a dangerous situation. They may be concerned that reporting a near miss will impact their reputation in the organization, or could be frustrated by the lack of recognition they receive when reporting a near miss. Employees may experience peer pressure or outright instruction not to report. It could also simply be complacency with a situation that causes a worker not to report a near miss. 

Again, not reporting extends beyond near misses and into actual incidents. In the case of workers who did not report sustained injuries, 72% of them responded that one of their reasons for not reporting was because they felt their injury was “small”. Other frequent responses included not wanting to be labeled a “complainer”, fearing the loss of future or current jobs, and not wanting to lose out on the safety incentive for no lost work time, among other factors. 

No matter what the reason is for a near miss or even an injury not being reported, this missing data negatively impacts the organization. Because the data set is incomplete, the near misses that are reported become less credible. Additionally, the organization is unable to address issues they are unaware of, and the resulting safety plans, while compliant, may not be comprehensive. 

Next week we will explore improving rates of near miss reporting, and what organizations can do to encourage employees to report.