Reporting hazards, near misses and incidents

Reporting converts individual observations into information the service can act on. A near miss is evidence that something in the environment, equipment, staffing, storage or routine needs attention—not a lucky escape to ignore.

What to report

• Immediate hazards: wet floors, blocked routes, damaged flooring, poor lighting, loose mats, icy paths, broken handrails or unsafe cables.
• Unsafe access: damaged stepladders, missing equipment, staff standing on furniture, overfilled high shelves or repeated need to climb.
• Near misses: slips, stumbles, trips, almost-falls, equipment nearly tipping, or residents nearly falling because of an environmental issue.
• Incidents: any fall, injury, collision, staff injury, resident injury, visitor injury or event requiring first aid, clinical review or escalation.
• Patterns: repeated hazards in the same area, at the same time of day, after the same routine or involving the same equipment.

How to report well

Report promptly using your workplace system. Be factual and specific: give the exact location and time, who was affected, what the hazard was, what immediate action was taken, who was informed, whether anyone was injured, and what follow-up is needed. Avoid blame, assumptions or vague language such as "staff should be more careful". Clear reports help services make effective changes.

Management controls

A near miss is a free warning. Treat it as useful information before it becomes an injury.