Chapter 04 · People & supply chainsHuman Rights & Social Sustainability
Near miss
Definition
A near miss is an unplanned event that did not cause injury, illness or damage but had the potential to do so.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Near miss” is defined and used.
Overview
What it means in practice
Near miss should be read as a human-rights and social-sustainability term. Its meaning depends on the affected people, workplace, legal context, severity and evidence available.
In practice, users should state the boundary, actor, method and evidence. That keeps near miss specific enough for review without turning it into a broader claim.
Why it matters
Near miss matters because social sustainability language can affect real rights, remedy and accountability. Clear wording helps prevent serious harms from being hidden behind generic risk language.
Common misconception
A common error is to treat Near miss as a compliance label only. The stronger approach is to state who is affected, what harm or right is at issue, and what evidence or remedy exists.
Review questions
Who or what is covered by the term? What evidence supports it? What limitation, method or affected group would change how a reader interprets the claim?
How it is used
In professional practice, “Near miss” helps employers, buyers, suppliers, governments, workers and affected communities describe or assess an unplanned event that did not cause injury, illness or damage but had the potential to do so. It is commonly encountered in workplace policy, sourcing, human-rights due diligence, community engagement and supply-chain management.
A credible application identifies the affected population, supply-chain boundary, local context, timeframe and evidence from rights-holders.