Report a Hazard or Near Miss
Prepare clear information before using your organization's approved reporting route.
This page helps organize a factual description; it is not a reporting form and does not replace the approved reporting process. Find that route in your organization's current reporting guidance or from the responsible internal safety contact.
If you do not know a detail, say so rather than guessing. Keep descriptions focused on what you observed.
Prepare the information
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1
Describe what happened or what you noticed
Use observable facts. Distinguish what you saw from what you inferred.
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2
Identify where and when
Give the area or location and an approximate date or time when known.
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3
Add relevant context
Include related conditions or observations that may help someone understand the concern; do not include guesses about blame.
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4
Submit through the approved route
Use the route identified in current organizational guidance, then follow any instructions provided there.
Make the description useful
A specific description helps the next person understand what was observed without assuming a cause.
Too vague
“The loading area is unsafe.”
- Does not identify an observation.
- Does not say where or when.
More specific
“At about 2:15 p.m., I saw a delivery trolley across the marked walkway near the west loading entrance. I do not know who left it.”
- Names the observable condition.
- Gives a location and approximate time.
- Does not assign blame or guess at the cause.
Questions before submitting
Practical reminders for preparing a factual report.
What details should I include?
Describe what you observed, where and approximately when it occurred, and any relevant context you know. Keep observations separate from assumptions.
What if I do not know the time or another detail?
State that the detail is unknown or give an honest approximation when appropriate. Do not fill gaps by guessing.
Where do I submit the report?
Use the reporting route identified in your organization's current approved reporting guidance. This example does not configure or name a route.