Near miss reporting at work, how to report and what the law says
Near miss reporting flags events that could have hurt someone but did not. Most need no OSHA or HSE notice. Log them at work and investigate the cause.
Near miss reporting at work and what to record
Near miss reporting means telling your employer, promptly and through a set process, about an event that could have hurt someone but did not. Most of those events need no report to OSHA or HSE, though a listed dangerous occurrence does, and some US standards still require a written investigation on site.
OSHA defines a near miss as "an incident that could have, but did not, result in death, injury, or illness" (OSHA 3885). HSG245 calls it "an event that, while not causing harm, has the potential to cause injury or ill health." Both regulators recommend investigating near misses internally (OSHA, HSE).
Is near miss reporting required by OSHA?
Not as a general duty under the injury rules. Part 1904 exists "to require employers to record and report work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses" (1904.0). You record a case only when it is work-related, a new case, and it meets the general recording criteria (1904.4). A near miss with no injury or illness has nothing in that list to record. 1904.39 sets the notice clock at 8 hours for a fatality, and 24 hours for an in-patient hospitalization, an amputation or a loss of an eye.
Some standards still require a written investigation on site. That duty is not a notice to OSHA. Two examples:
| Standard | Trigger | Start | Written report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process Safety Management, 1910.119(m) | Incident that resulted in, or could reasonably have resulted in, a catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemical | Promptly, not later than 48 hours | Date, description, contributing factors and recommendations. Review with affected personnel, including contract employees where relevant. Keep 5 years. |
| Shipyard lockout/tags-plus, 1915.89(p) | Incident that resulted in, or could reasonably have resulted in, energization or startup, or release of hazardous energy, while servicing machinery, equipment or systems | Promptly, not later than 24 hours | Dates, location, description, contributing factors, the lockout/tags-plus log and corrective actions. Complete within 30 days. |
The PSM rule's non-mandatory Appendix C ties this to near misses: an event where "a serious consequence did not occur, but could have". Sites in OSHA's voluntary VPP program must run an incident and near-miss reporting system, investigate every reported near miss, document the investigation and find the root cause (CSP 03-01-005).
OSHA's general guidance is not a rule, but it does ask for a reporting process with an anonymous option, so people are less afraid of reprisal (Worker Participation). It also says: "Investigate close calls/near misses" (Hazard Identification).
Do not treat 1904.35 as a near-miss rule. It covers injuries and illnesses. Section 11(c) bars retaliation for exercising rights including reporting a work-related injury or illness. It is not a near-miss clause.
When a near miss is reportable to HSE under RIDDOR
In Great Britain, HSE Books states: "There is no legal requirement to record near misses" (HSE Books). What you may have to notify is a dangerous occurrence: "certain incidents with a high potential to cause death or serious injury", listed in Schedule 2 (HSE). HSE calls those "some near-miss incidents" (who should report). On a well, "'Near misses' should also be reported if normal drilling operations have to be interrupted to take remedial action to reduce the risk of collision" (dangerous occurrences). Check Schedule 2.
If the event is on that list, the responsible person (the employer, some self-employed people, or the person in control of the premises, per key definitions) must:
- notify the enforcing authority "without delay", and make sure the report is received within 10 days (when to report)
- use the online dangerous occurrence form. The 0345 300 9923 phone line is for fatal accidents or accidents resulting in specified injuries to workers only, so do not phone in a dangerous occurrence (how to report)
- keep the record for at least three years from the date it was made (RIDDOR reg. 12)
Offshore incidents use a separate route, the Report of an Oil and Gas Incident form (how to report). And do not take deadlines from HSG245. It still cites RIDDOR 1995.
A near miss outside Schedule 2 is not reportable as a RIDDOR dangerous occurrence. HSE still says you should investigate accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences (managing health and safety).
How to report a near miss at work
Follow your site's procedure. Report promptly to your supervisor or on its form. An example policy template, produced under an OSHA grant, asks for a report within 24 hours and says reporting "will not result in disciplinary action" of the reporter, who may stay anonymous. The file "does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor", so 24 hours is an example, not a legal deadline.
OSHA's investigation guide gives four steps, and it strongly encourages the same steps for close calls:
- Preserve and document the scene.
- Collect information, including witness accounts.
- Find the root causes.
- Put corrective actions in place.
The investigation should focus on "identifying and correcting root causes, not on finding fault or blame" (Incident Investigation). The guide adds that root causes "generally reflect management, design, planning, organizational or operational failings". If the finding is "the worker was careless", you have stopped too early.
What a near miss report form should include
Use the grant-produced report form template as an example, not OSHA's form. It defines a near miss as no property damage and no injury, "but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred." A practical safety near miss report also needs:
- reporter name, with an anonymous option
- date, time and location
- what happened
- what could have happened, and who could have been hurt
- immediate action taken
- contributing factors and root cause
- corrective actions, each with an owner and a due date
- feedback given to the reporter
- a category, so repeats show up in the near miss log
HSE sells a printed Near-miss Book and says near misses "are a valuable source of information." A spreadsheet can be the near miss log. Someone still has to chase the open actions.
Building a near miss reporting culture
OSHA recommends giving reporters feedback, and removing barriers such as fear of retaliation (Worker Participation). Anonymity helps, but trust comes from feedback on actions taken and investigations that look for causes, not blame.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare uses "hiyari-hatto" for these close calls. It says the reporting system lasts only if there is an agreement not to blame workers, and it suggests collecting reports at morning meetings (MHLW). Its case collection has 451 illustrated cases, with 10 added on 27 May 2025.
For another country or sector, RegAffairs AI cites the official texts on this question.