Is a near miss OSHA-recordable? No — but track it
A near miss is an unplanned event that could have caused injury or damage but did not. Because OSHA’s injury recordkeeping (29 CFR 1904.7) records outcomes — actual harm to a person — a near miss never lands on the 300 Log, and it never triggers the severe-event reporting rule (29 CFR 1904.39). There is exactly one mandatory OSHA response to a near miss: a forklift operator involved in one must get refresher training and be re-evaluated (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(B)). Everything else about tracking near misses is voluntary — and it is one of the highest-value things a safety program does, because a near miss is a free preview of a future recordable injury.
Ranking the risk
The tool multiplies potential severity (had the event not missed) by the likelihood of recurrence, each on a 1–4 scale, for a 1–16 score. This is a standard risk-ranking aid for prioritization, not an OSHA-mandated calculation.
| Score | Band | Act |
|---|---|---|
| 12+ | Critical | Before work resumes — Stop the task. Put an immediate control in place and correct the root cause before the work continues. |
| 8+ | High | Within 24–72 hours — Correct promptly; brief the crew; consider an interim control until the fix is in. |
| 4+ | Medium | Within 1–2 weeks — Assign a corrective action with an owner and a due date; verify completion. |
| 1+ | Low | Routine review — Log it and address in the next scheduled inspection or toolbox talk. |
Severity levels: Fatal or permanently disabling · Serious · Minor · Negligible. Likelihood: Frequent · Likely · Unlikely · Rare.
The corrective action, and the hierarchy of controls
A near miss is only worth logging if it produces a fix. Name the corrective action, an owner, and a due date — and aim as high as feasible on the hierarchy of controls, because a physical control beats another reminder:
- Elimination — Physically remove the hazard (most effective)
- Substitution — Replace it with something less hazardous
- Engineering controls — Isolate people from the hazard (guards, LEV, guardrails)
- Administrative controls — Change how people work (procedures, training, signage)
- PPE — Protect the worker with equipment (least effective — last resort)
Frequently asked questions
Is a near miss OSHA-recordable?
No. Under 29 CFR 1904.7 a case is recordable only if it results in death, days away, restricted work or transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or a significant diagnosis. A near miss produces no injury, so it meets none of those and never goes on the OSHA 300 Log. It is also not reportable: 29 CFR 1904.39 is triggered only by an actual fatality, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss.
Does a near miss ever require an OSHA response?
Once. Under 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(B), a powered-industrial-truck (forklift) operator involved in an accident or a near miss must be given refresher training and be re-evaluated — regardless of the three-year cycle and regardless of whether anyone was hurt. That is a training duty, not a recording or reporting duty. Outside that provision, OSHA mandates no action on a near miss.
How do you rank a near miss's risk?
This tool multiplies the potential severity (had the event not missed) by the likelihood it recurs if nothing changes, on 1–4 scales, for a 1–16 score: 1–3 Low, 4–7 Medium, 8–11 High, 12–16 Critical, each with a suggested action timeframe. It is a standard risk-ranking aid for prioritization, not an OSHA-mandated calculation.
What is a corrective action (CAPA)?
The documented fix for the hazard the near miss exposed, with an owner and a due date. The tool asks you to name the control level using OSHA/NIOSH's hierarchy of controls — elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE — because a higher control is more effective than another sign or another reminder. A corrective action is only complete when it is verified as done.
Why track near misses if OSHA doesn't require it?
Because a near miss is a leading indicator: it exposes the exact hazard that produces a recordable injury, before anyone is hurt. Acting on the wide base of near misses is how you shrink the number of injuries at the top. A documented near-miss reporting and corrective-action program is also evidence of good faith that can support a penalty reduction under OSHA's Field Operations Manual if a citation ever lands.
Sources & verification
- 29 CFR 1904.7 — general recording criteria
- 29 CFR 1904.39 — reporting fatalities/hospitalizations
- 29 CFR 1910.178(l) — powered industrial truck operator training
Regulatory facts verified 2026-10-05. The risk ranking is a prioritization aid, not an OSHA calculation. General guidance, not legal advice. State-Plan states may impose additional requirements.
Is a near miss recordable? →Root cause analysis →Job hazard analysis builder →OSHA 301 incident form →