A near miss is an unplanned event that could have caused injury, illness, damage or loss but did not result in harm on that occasion. In a restaurant, near misses include a knife falling close to an employee, a hot pan nearly spilling, a wet floor that someone avoids slipping on, or a food-safety error caught before the dish is served.
A near miss reveals a hazard or weakness in a process before someone is harmed. Reporting it allows management to investigate the underlying cause, improve equipment or procedures and prevent a more serious incident. It should be treated as a learning opportunity rather than an automatic reason to blame an employee.
Record the date, time, location, what happened, the potential consequence, any immediate action and the person responsible for follow-up. Correct the hazard where safe to do so, notify the supervisor and verify that the corrective action has been completed.
A near miss had the potential to cause harm but did not. An incident is a broader term that can include near misses, injuries, damage, illness and other unplanned events.
Chef’s tip: encourage staff to report near misses even when nobody was hurt. A kitchen that learns from small warning signs is less likely to experience serious injuries or food-safety incidents.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
