What should you do if you observe a near-miss but do not report it immediately?

What should you do if you observe a near-miss but do not report it immediately?

• A. Wait until the next quarterly review.
• B. Only discuss with coworkers.
• C. Delete the incident from records.
• D. Report it as soon as possible to the supervisor or through the incident reporting system to ensure documentation.

Answer: (D)

When you observe a near-miss, reporting it immediately is essential to prevent recurrence and improve safety by ensuring there is a documented record for investigation. Promptly sharing the event with your supervisor or through the incident reporting system allows the organization to review what happened, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions or safeguards. This timely process helps capture hazards before they lead to injury or damage and supports trend analysis to prevent similar situations in the future. Waiting for a later time delays learning and can leave the risk unaddressed. Discussing only with coworkers doesn’t create an official record or trigger formal investigation, and deleting the incident erases important evidence that could protect people and property. Therefore, the best action is to report it as soon as possible through the proper channels.