Conquer the BCSP Challenge 2026 – Elevate Your Safety Skills!

A near-miss in workplace safety is defined as an incident that could have resulted in an accident but did not reach the level of causing harm or damage. This distinction is crucial because near-misses provide valuable insights into potential hazards and help organizations identify and mitigate risks before they can result in actual injuries or accidents. By analyzing near-miss incidents, safety professionals can enhance procedures and protocols to prevent future occurrences.

In contrast, an event that resulted in injury refers to a definitive accident, which does not fit the near-miss criteria. Similarly, a safety protocol violation may indicate unsafe behavior, but it does not necessarily mean that an accident was narrowly avoided. A successful safety drill, while demonstrating preparedness, is not relevant to the concept of near-misses, as it signifies a proactive measure rather than a scenario of potential harm that was averted. Identifying and learning from near-misses is a key component of a proactive safety culture within organizations.