Which scenario best describes a near miss?

Which scenario best describes a near miss?

• A. An incident with potential loss that did not cause damage.
• B. An incident that caused property damage.
• C. An incident with no potential for loss.
• D. A routine maintenance event.

Answer: (A)

A near miss is an incident that could have caused harm or loss, but, fortunately, no damage or injury occurred. This scenario fits because there was potential for loss, yet no damage happened, so the risk was present without an actual negative outcome. If there had been property damage, that would be an actual loss rather than a near miss. If there was no potential for loss to begin with, there wouldn’t be a near-miss situation. And routine maintenance is a planned activity, not an incident involving unexpected risk.

A near miss is an incident that could have caused harm or loss, but, fortunately, no damage or injury occurred. This scenario fits because there was potential for loss, yet no damage happened, so the risk was present without an actual negative outcome.

If there had been property damage, that would be an actual loss rather than a near miss. If there was no potential for loss to begin with, there wouldn’t be a near-miss situation. And routine maintenance is a planned activity, not an incident involving unexpected risk.