Near misses caught in time
A near miss is a hazard that was present and real, but where an emergency stop, a standby team, a policy, or plain chance meant no one was actually hurt. These are the closest calls: the moments worth reading precisely because they didn’t end in an incident report.
The Falling Pallet That Nearly Changed EverythingA falling carton, an inconsistent hard hat policy, and the near-miss that exposed the gap between written rules and real practice.Read the story →
The Half Mask That Didn’t SealA filtering facepiece in a confined space, a dropping oxygen reading, and the standby team that caught it in time.Read the story →
The Glove That Got Pulled Into the ConveyorA line operative reached over a moving conveyor to clear a jam and his glove caught the roller before the emergency stop was hit.Read the story →
The Blind Corner Where Paths CrossedA forklift and a pedestrian met at a corner with no mirror and no marked walkway, and stopped inches apart.Read the story →Near Misses
Near Misses: When the System Caught It in Time
More Field Stories
These are drawn from the full Field Stories library, which also includes our Case Studies. Every story links to the specific EN standards behind it – explore the full EN Standards Library for the requirements themselves.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a near miss?
A situation where a real hazard was present but an emergency stop, a standby team, a policy, or plain chance meant no one was actually hurt.
Why are near misses worth reading if nothing happened?
They are the closest calls – reading them precisely because they didn't end in an incident report shows where a system worked, and how easily it might not have.
Are the near-miss stories based on real events?
They are composite case studies drawn from real workplace situations, written to protect the identity of the people and sites involved.
Can I submit my own near miss?
Yes, near misses can be submitted through the Submit Your Story page, published anonymously by default.