Incidents & Accidents · Mandatory · Construction

Near Miss Report Form

A form for reporting near-miss events where an incident could have resulted in injury or damage but did not. Near-miss reporting is a leading safety indicator and helps prevent future accidents by identifying hazards before they cause harm.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. MHSWR 1999 remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

1. Near Miss Reporting — The Most Valuable Safety Data You're Not Collecting

Near misses are the most information-rich safety events on any construction site. They reveal hazards before injury occurs. A scaffold board falling from height without striking anyone is a near miss today and a fatality tomorrow. HSG245 makes clear that near miss investigation should be taken as seriously as accident investigation.

Heinrich's Triangle demonstrates that for every serious injury there are many minor injuries and many more near misses. Learning from near misses prevents major incidents — it is the most proactive and cost-effective element of any safety management system.

Reward near miss reporting — it's the most valuable free intelligence your safety system can generate

Sites should actively encourage reporting. Consider: displaying the weekly near miss count at the site entrance (high numbers indicate a good reporting culture, not a dangerous site); acknowledging every report within 24 hours; taking visible action and communicating it back to the reporter; and referencing near misses in toolbox talks without naming individuals.

2. Near Miss Report Form — What to Capture

Field	Content
Date/time/location	When and where the near miss occurred.
Reported by	Name and contact details. Anonymous option should be available to encourage reporting.
Description	What happened. What could have resulted. Who was or could have been affected.
Immediate cause	What directly caused or triggered the near miss.
Potential severity	If the worst case had occurred — what injury or damage could have resulted? This prioritises investigation.
Immediate action	Corrective action taken on the day.
RIDDOR check	Is this a ‘dangerous occurrence’ under Schedule 2? If yes — report to HSE.
Investigation status	Assigned to [name]. To be completed by [date].
Investigation outcome	Root causes identified. Corrective actions implemented. Verified closed.

3. Common Mistakes

No near miss system or one that is never used

Zero near misses on a busy construction site means a broken reporting culture, not a safe site. One hundred workers on a six-month project with zero near miss reports is a non-functional system. The absence of reports is itself a red flag requiring management attention.

Reports filed but never investigated

This is worse than having no system at all. It creates a documented record that a hazard was known and no action was taken. Every near miss must be investigated, the reporter must be told what action was taken, and the investigation must be closed in a complete loop.

Blame culture discouraging reporting

Workers who are disciplined, criticised, or mocked for reporting near misses will stop reporting. The focus must be on system and environmental causes, not individual blame. HSG245 explicitly warns against blaming individuals — it suppresses the data needed to prevent serious incidents.

Not distinguishing from RIDDOR dangerous occurrences

Some near misses are reportable dangerous occurrences: scaffold collapse over 5m, crane overturning, plant contacting overhead power lines. Each near miss must be checked against RIDDOR Schedule 2. An internal report without the required RIDDOR report where applicable is a legal failure.

Not quantifying potential severity

The form should ask: if the worst case had occurred, what would the outcome have been? A near miss with potential fatality must be investigated as thoroughly as an actual fatality. Potential severity drives investigation priority and resource allocation.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Does a near miss need reporting to HSE?▾

Not automatically, unless it meets the definition of a ‘dangerous occurrence’ in RIDDOR Schedule 2. Construction-relevant dangerous occurrences include: scaffold collapse over 5m, unintended collapse of 5 or more tonnes, plant contacting overhead power lines, and explosion or fire causing 24 or more hours of site stoppage. Non-RIDDOR near misses are recorded and investigated internally.

Who should be able to report near misses?▾

Everyone on site — any worker, subcontractor, visitor, or manager. Forms should be available in the welfare unit and at the site entrance. Digital reporting by mobile should be available. Anonymous options should be offered. The more people reporting, the richer the data and the more hazards identified before they cause injury.

How quickly should a near miss be investigated?▾

HSG245 states: as soon as practicable. Near misses with fatality potential should be investigated the same day. Lower-potential events should be investigated within days. A backlog of weeks defeats the entire purpose — corrective action must come before the actual accident the near miss warned about.

How should near miss data be used beyond individual investigations?▾

Analyse in aggregate: which types are most common, which locations generate the most reports, which subcontractors are generating disproportionate numbers. Trend analysis identifies systemic hazards. Review data in the monthly audit (F9), discuss in toolbox talks, and report to senior management. A site where near misses outnumber accidents by 10:1 or more has a healthy reporting culture.

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