What is the primary role of near-miss reporting in safety metrics?

• A. To document only major accidents
• B. To identify trends, prevent serious incidents, and drive proactive safety improvements.
• C. To assign blame for unsafe acts
• D. To justify layoffs

Answer: (B)

Near-miss reporting in safety metrics is a tool for capturing early warning signs to prevent harm. By recording events that could have caused injury or damage but didn’t, you gain visibility into hazards, weaknesses in controls, and patterns across tasks or conditions. Analyzing these reports over time helps you identify trends, high-risk areas, and recurring root causes, enabling targeted preventive actions before a serious incident occurs. This proactive use of near-miss data drives safety improvements, strengthens preventive measures, and fosters a culture of openness where reporting isn’t about blame but about learning. It’s not about documenting only major accidents, blaming workers, or justifying layoffs; it’s about using early indicators to reduce risk.