Report a “near miss”

What is a near miss?

A near miss incident is an event that could have resulted in an injury. An example of a near miss could be:

  • You trip over an obstacle but catch yourself before you fall
  • A piece of equipment fails or breaks while you’re using it
  • You discover a sharp where you’re not expecting it
  • You need to move a heavy object and feel a strain
  • A patient is exhibiting escalating behaviours

If you say to yourself, “that was a good catch!” or “I was lucky not to get hurt,” then it may be a near miss.

It is important to be proactive about any near miss you encounter. In this way, you are protecting yourself, your co-workers and patients.

How to report a near miss

  1. Tell your supervisor or manager immediately about the incident.
  2. Report the incident to your employer.
    • Health Authority employees call the Workplace Health Call Centre at 1-866-922-9464
    • Affiliate/Independent employees fill out an Incident/Injury Report. Ask your supervisor for the form.
  3. Ask for a copy of your report from your employer
  4. Describe the incident to your Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) Committee worker representative, so they can raise the issue at the next JOHS Committee meeting.
  5. Follow up with your JOHS Committee worker representative to see when and how changes will be made to correct the safety issue.

Other types of incidents

Hazard: A thing or condition that could lead to an incident. Report hazards to keep incidents from occurring.

Find out more about Hazards

Injury incident: An event that leads to a physical or mental injury, or a work-related illness.

Find out more about Injury and Illness incidents