Near Miss Reporting Toolbox Talk
A near miss is an accident that nearly happened: the hammer that fell and missed, the trench wall that slumped when nobody was in it. Every serious injury usually has a string of near misses before it. Reporting them is a free lesson, and the only way to fix the problem before someone gets hurt.
Takes about 5 minutes.
Key points to read out
- Report every near miss, no matter how small it seems.
- Reporting is about fixing the problem, not blaming anyone.
- Make it quick: tell your supervisor, use the app or form, and take a photo if it is safe to.
- Include what happened, where, when and what could have happened.
- Make the area safe first if you can, so it cannot happen again straight away.
- We will share what was found and what was fixed at the next toolbox talk.
- Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours, and inpatient hospitalizations, amputations and eye losses within 24 hours. Tell the supervisor at once.
- The more near misses we report, the fewer injuries we have.
Questions to ask the crew
- Has anyone had a near miss this week?
- What stops people from reporting near misses?
- How do you report one on this job?
- What was the last near miss we fixed?
Reference: 29 CFR 1904.39 (Reporting fatalities and severe injuries)
Sign-in sheet
Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
Get it signed
Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.