Unreported Near Miss Becomes the Next Workplace Incident

By Abbie Geigle

Near misses are often dismissed as lucky breaks—close calls where no one was hurt and nothing appeared to go wrong. Because the outcome seems harmless, these events are frequently ignored or left unreported. In reality, near misses are some of the most valuable safety signals an organization can receive. They reveal hazards and weaknesses while there is still time to act. When a near miss goes unreported, the conditions that caused it remain unchanged, setting the stage for the next event to end far differently.

Near Misses Are Early Warning Signs

A near miss is any unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage—but easily could have. This might include a worker slipping on a wet floor but regaining balance, a load falling from height and narrowly missing someone, or equipment malfunctioning without causing harm. While the outcome may feel insignificant, the underlying risk is not. Near misses expose gaps in training, procedures, equipment, or environmental controls that deserve immediate attention.

Treating near misses as “non-events” overlooks their true value. They are warnings that the system is not working as intended. Ignoring them means choosing to learn only after someone gets hurt.

How Unreported Near Misses Turn Into Incidents

When a near miss is not reported, the hazard that caused it remains in place. The same unsafe condition or behavior continues, exposing workers to repeated risk. Over time, the likelihood of an incident increases—not because the hazard changed, but because circumstances did. Fatigue, distraction, time pressure, or a different employee can quickly turn a close call into a serious injury.

Unreported near misses also normalize unsafe behaviors. When workers experience close calls without follow-up or corrective action, they may begin to view the risk as acceptable or unavoidable. Shortcuts and workarounds become routine, and the margin for error narrows. What once required luck to avoid injury now requires constant vigilance, which is not sustainable in real-world working conditions.

A Real-World Example: The Warning That Was Missed

Consider a warehouse where employees occasionally reported forklifts sliding slightly when stopping near pedestrian walkways. No collisions occurred, and the issue was never formally reported or investigated. Over time, the behavior became accepted as “just how the floor is.” Months later, under similar conditions, a forklift was unable to stop in time and struck a worker, resulting in serious injuries.

The hazard—poor traction and inadequate separation between pedestrians and vehicles—was present all along. The near misses were warnings. Because they were not reported or addressed, the same conditions remained until the outcome was no longer a near miss.

The Cost of Ignoring Near Misses

Near misses provide a rare opportunity to learn without the high cost of injuries, downtime, workers’ compensation claims, or regulatory scrutiny. When they go unreported, organizations lose the chance to fix problems early and inexpensively. Instead, lessons are learned after harm occurs, when the human and financial consequences are far greater.

Ignoring near misses also weakens safety culture. When employees believe reporting is unnecessary, discouraged, or pointless, trust erodes. Reporting declines, hazards remain hidden, and leadership is left with an incomplete picture of workplace risk. A workplace that doesn’t hear about near misses isn’t safer—it’s simply less informed.

Turning Near Misses Into Prevention

Preventing near misses from becoming incidents requires a workplace culture that treats reporting as a positive action. Reporting systems should be simple, non-punitive, and focused on learning rather than blame. Management must respond visibly and consistently, communicating what actions were taken and why they matter. When workers see that reporting leads to real improvements, participation increases and safety performance follows.

A near miss is not an inconvenience or a failure—it is a warning. When that warning is ignored, the same hazard remains in place, waiting for the next opportunity to cause harm. In many cases, the difference between a near miss and a serious incident is nothing more than timing.

Reporting near misses turns luck into prevention. And in workplace safety, prevention is what truly protects people.