How should a near-miss incident be documented?

• A. Record date/time/place, what almost occurred, actions taken to stop it, root cause if known, and notification of leadership; review for corrective actions.
• B. Record only the date and location of the near-miss.
• C. Notify leadership within 24 hours of the event without documenting the event itself.
• D. Document near misses only if injuries occurred.

Answer: (A)

Documentation of near-miss events should be thorough and actionable, capturing details that let safety teams learn and prevent recurrence. The best approach records when and where the incident almost happened, a clear description of what nearly occurred, and the actions taken to stop it. It also notes any known root cause and includes notifying leadership, followed by a review to identify corrective actions. This full, traceable record enables trend analysis, accountability, and the implementation of preventive measures, turning a near-miss into a concrete opportunity to improve safety.

The other options fall short because they omit essential elements: recording only a date and location misses the full context; notifying leadership without documenting the event leaves no record for follow-up or corrective action; and documenting near misses only when injuries occur ignores proactive safety and prevention opportunities.