Which statement best describes a near miss?

• A. It is an incident that could have caused harm but did not
• B. It is an incident where harm occurred
• C. It is a hazard observation with no incident
• D. It is a routine maintenance task

Answer: (A)

A near miss is an event where harm could have occurred but didn’t, usually because of luck or quick intervention. It shows where safety controls might be failing and gives a chance to fix processes before anyone is injured. For example, a tool slipping from a worker’s hand but landing safely, or a machine jam that is cleared before someone is hurt, are near misses that signal underlying risks.

This differs from an incident in which harm actually occurred, which is a real injury or damage. It also differs from a hazard observation with no incident, which is just a risk identified without any event taking place. A routine maintenance task isn’t a near miss on its own unless something goes wrong and nearly causes harm.