Define near misses.

• A. Events that caused damage but no injuries
• B. Events that could have caused injury or damage but did not
• C. Events with intentional harm
• D. Events that are irrelevant to safety

Answer: (B)

Near misses are events in safety practice that had the potential to cause injury or damage but did not, often due to chance, quick intervention, or luck. They matter because they reveal weaknesses in processes, equipment, or human behavior before a real accident occurs, so investigating them helps prevent future harm. For example, a loose tool that almost falls on someone or a near collision that could have caused a crash are classic near misses—situations where the harm was avoided, not avoided out of luck alone but through awareness or timing. By reporting and analyzing these events, organizations can address root causes and put safeguards in place. The other options don’t fit because they either describe incidents that actually caused harm or damage, describe intentional harm, or describe events irrelevant to safety.