What to do when staff aren’t reporting incidents and near misses

Most SMEs have some form of incident reporting process in place. But having a process and using it correctly are two very different things, and some organisations struggle to build a culture where their employees report incidents consistently.

All too often, organisations only notice that reporting has broken down when accidents have happened. They realise that no one has recorded the everyday near misses and hazards that could have prevented those accidents.

This article looks at why staff don't report incidents and near misses, what's at risk when reporting breaks down, and the practical steps SMEs can take to improve their health and safety reporting culture.

 

Skip to:

• What counts as a health and safety incident, accident, or near miss at work?

• Why don’t staff report incidents and near misses?

• What happens when incident reporting breaks down?

• How to improve incident and near miss reporting in your workplace

• How the right near miss reporting system makes compliance easier

• Keep all your incident reporting in one place

• FAQs about reporting incidents 

 

What counts as a health and safety incident, accident, or near miss at work?

 

You can't improve incident reporting in the workplace if your team isn't sure what they're supposed to report. Here's a quick recap of the key terms.

 

• Incidents: The umbrella term for any unplanned event that has caused, or could have caused, harm. This includes accidents, near misses, and dangerous occurrences under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

• Accidents: A specific type of incident where harm has happened, whether that's injury, ill health, or damage to property or equipment.

• Near misses: An unplanned event that didn't result in harm, but could have under slightly different circumstances. They’re arguably the most valuable early warning signal you have.

• Hazards: Anything with the potential to cause harm, from a wet floor or faulty equipment to excessive workload or exposure to a hazardous substance.

• Risks: The likelihood that a hazard will lead to harm. The higher the likelihood, the more urgent your safety measures need to be.

 

For a full breakdown of each one, see our guide to near misses and the difference between accidents and incidents.

 

Why don’t staff report incidents and near misses?

 

Half of the employees surveyed by Breathe said they’d never reported a health and safety risk or incident. A lack of reporting can give employers the illusion that there aren’t any health and safety events to worry about. In reality, though, staff often don’t report incidents or near misses they should, due to the following reasons.

 

They lack faith in incident reporting systems

 

Trust plays a huge part in incident reporting. Employees need to believe you’ll take their concerns seriously and put measures in place to address any workplace health and safety issues. When reports disappear into a spreadsheet and nothing visibly changes, worker trust can vanish just as quickly. And once your team doesn't believe reporting makes a difference, they'll stop making the effort.

 

They’re worried about being blamed or disrupting the business

 

Psychological safety is also a significant barrier to incident reporting in the workplace. If staff worry that reporting an incident or near miss will land them in trouble, or reflect badly on their team, they'll stay quiet.

Some staff also choose to stay quite out of misguided loyalty. They worry that reporting health and safety incidents will invite scrutiny from regulators which could push up insurance premiums, or damage the company's reputation. It's a well-meaning instinct, but one that works against overall safety.

The risks of not reporting far outweigh the risks of reporting, and it’s important that your team understands that.

 

They’re confused about how to report an incident

 

Some staff who actively want to file an incident report may not know how. If your near miss reporting procedure is buried in a handbook nobody reads or involves unclear steps, it’s hard for employees to report their concerns.

Others may not know what types of incidents to report. Not all workplace hazards are obvious, and without clear guidance on what counts, from a near miss to a dangerous occurrence, staff are left to make their own judgement. Most will err on the side of not bothering.

 

They believe health and safety is someone else’s responsibility

 

When health and safety ownership isn't clearly defined, reporting tends to slip. Staff assume their line manager will flag it, and the line manager assumes someone else already has, so the incident goes unrecorded.

Without clear communication about who’s responsible for health and safety reporting, accountability is shared so broadly it effectively belongs to nobody.

 

What happens when incident reporting breaks down?

You might not notice immediately if incident reporting isn’t happening in your organisation. Unfortunately, it’s the type of problem that can sneak up on business leaders, only becoming obvious when something irreversible happens.

Here’s why it’s important to get ahead of that point, and keep incident reporting on track.

Missed chances to prevent a serious accident

The goal of reporting hazards and potential risks is to give you a chance to take action and prevent serious harm. Speaking up about loose cables or wet floors may seem minor, but these reports could be the difference between a near miss and a serious injury or fatality.

Weaker safety reporting records

When incidents and near misses go unrecorded, your safety reporting records only tell part of the story.

For insurers, regulators, auditors, and clients who ask to see evidence of how you manage health and safety, incomplete records are a red flag. They suggest either that nothing is happening in your workplace, which is unlikely, or that your reporting process isn't working. They also create blind spots in risk assessments and training.

Serious legal and financial exposure under RIDDOR

Under RIDDOR, employers have a legal duty to report certain work-related accidents, injuries, and dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE.)

If your incident reporting process is broken, there’s a chance your business could face enforcement action, financial penalties, or even personal liability for directors and managers.

Reputational risk from poor safety incident reporting

If your business is investigated by the HSE, or finds itself on the wrong end of a personal injury claim, the reputational damage can outlast the legal process itself. A business known for poor safety incident reporting can be a difficult reputation to shake.

If any of the above feels uncomfortably familiar, our audit-ready health and safety quiz can help you identify where the gaps are.

How to improve incident and near miss reporting in your workplace

The good news is that many of the barriers to reporting incidents and near misses are fixable and don’t require a huge investment to overhaul your approach. In most SMEs, a handful of practical, consistent changes make the biggest difference. Here's where to start.

Train your team on what to report and why it matters

Clear definitions of incidents, accidents, and near misses should be part of every new starter's induction. Refresher training matters too, particularly when:

• Roles or processes change

• New equipment is introduced

• An incident has occurred
  

We recommend reading the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) guide to Reportable incidents, which explains how to respond to different types of health and safety events. Where possible, connect reporting back to real outcomes. If a near miss report led to a fix that kept someone safe, tell your team.

Simplify your near miss reporting procedure

If your health and safety training has worked effectively, each individual team member should be able to recite:

• Who should report the health and safety incident

• How they should report it

• Where they submit the information

• When the deadline is

• What they can expect to happen next

Build a culture where reporting health and safety concerns feel safe

Process improvements will only go so far if the culture around reporting isn't right. Involve your leaders in spreading the word that reporting incidents and near misses is expected, welcomed, and never used against the person who raises them.

This means keeping reporting firmly separate from any performance or disciplinary conversations, and making sure line managers reinforce that message in their day-to-day interactions, not just in training.

Act on health and safety reports

Reporting culture lives or dies on what happens after a report is submitted. Close the loop by:

• Acknowledging reports promptly

• Communicating what action was taken

• Sharing outcomes in team meetings or on a noticeboard

Find creative ways to encourage near miss reporting at work

Sometimes a cultural shift needs a practical nudge. A few ideas worth considering:

• Recognition in team meetings: A simple shoutout for anyone who submitted a report that month.

• Internal health and safety awards: A lighthearted way to make reporting something to be proud of rather than avoid.

• Workplace QR codes: Placed in common areas, these link directly to your reporting form so staff can flag something on the spot.

• Small incentives: A voucher or team treat for hitting a reporting milestone can shift the perception of reporting from a chore to a contribution.

Use a dedicated health and safety platform

If you currently keep incident reporting across a variety of places, such as spreadsheets, paper accident books, or email trails, it’s easy to lose track of key details. A dedicated platform brings everything together in one place, making it easier to:

• Log incidents and near misses quickly

• Spot patterns across reports

• Keep training records and risk assessments up to date

• Prove compliance if a regulator or auditor asks questions

Keep all your incident reporting in one place with Breathe

Getting incident and near miss reporting right doesn't require a complete overhaul of your health and safety approach. In most SMEs, the biggest gains come from simplifying your process and building trust around reporting.

Breathe's Health & Safety module gives SMEs a central place to manage incident logs, near miss reports, training records, and policies, so reporting is easier for your team and compliance is easier for you. See how it works in our two-minute demo video.

And if you want to sense-check your wider health and safety approach, our on-demand webinar Health and Safety in 2026: the hidden gaps SMEs still miss is a practical next step.

FAQs about reporting incidents

Why is it important to report accidents and near misses at work?

Reporting accidents and near misses gives you the chance to:

• Identify hazards

• Fix underlying causes

• Prevent something more serious from happening

It also helps you maintain accurate records for insurers, regulators, and auditors, and proves that you take your team’s safety seriously.

What should a near miss reporting procedure include?

A near miss reporting procedure should cover who’s responsible for reporting, how and where to submit a report, and what happens after a report is received. The simpler and more accessible the process, the more likely staff are to use it consistently.

What are the legal requirements for reporting incidents and accidents at work?

Under RIDDOR, employers must report certain work-related accidents, injuries, ill health, and dangerous occurrences to the HSE. Employers with five or more staff must also have a written health and safety policy, and those with more than ten employees are required to keep an accident book.

What is the difference between an incident report and an accident report?

An incident report covers any unplanned event that’s caused or could have caused harm, including near misses. An accident report specifically documents an event where harm has already occurred. All accidents warrant an incident report, but not all incident reports relate to an accident.