Near Miss Report Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to formally report a near miss incident to your employer to prevent future accidents, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong near miss report should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• Describe the near miss event with date
• Time
• Location and circumstances
• Identify what could have gone wrong and the potential severity
• Identify contributing factors and hazards
• Request investigation and a review of the relevant risk assessment
• Request written confirmation of any preventive action taken

Why near misses matter as much as actual accidents

A near miss — an incident that could have caused injury but didn't — is one of the most valuable pieces of safety information a workplace can have, since it identifies a hazard before someone is actually hurt. Many serious accidents are preceded by near misses that went unreported, meaning the warning sign was there but nothing was done about it.

What to include before you send it

• What happened and how it could have resulted in injury
• The specific location, equipment, or process involved
• Any contributing factors you noticed — poor lighting, faulty equipment, inadequate procedures
• A request for the hazard to be investigated and addressed

Why reporting this protects colleagues, not just you

A near miss report is fundamentally preventative — it gives your employer the chance to fix a hazard before it causes real harm to you or a colleague. Many workplaces genuinely welcome these reports as part of a positive safety culture, rather than treating them as complaints.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a legal requirement to report near misses?
There's no direct requirement to report every near miss to the HSE in the way RIDDOR requires for actual injuries, but many workplaces have their own internal near-miss reporting systems, and it's good practice to use them.

What if my employer doesn't seem to take near miss reports seriously?
A pattern of ignored near miss reports, especially if an actual accident later occurs from the same hazard, can be significant evidence of employer negligence.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Recipient]
[Job Title, e.g. Health and Safety Representative / Manager]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name],

Subject: Near miss report

I am reporting a near miss at work. No one was hurt this time, but someone could have been seriously injured.

• Date and time: [e.g. 19 October 2026 at 2pm]
• Where: [e.g. the staff kitchen]
• What happened: [e.g. a heavy cabinet door fell off its hinges, just missing a colleague's head]
• What could have happened: [e.g. a serious head injury]
• What contributed to it: [e.g. the hinges had been loose for weeks and were reported on [date]]

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 [Northern Ireland: the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978], employers must, so far as is reasonably practicable, protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

Please:
• log this report;
• investigate the cause and review the relevant risk assessment; and
• confirm in writing what action you have taken to stop it happening again.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]