Hazard observation
- These are situations that we see/observe, which could result in someone getting hurt if not addressed (in other words, an ‘accident waiting to happen'). For example: you notice a chair with a broken leg around one of the tables in the canteen, a wet floor that has just been cleaned in a high traffic area with no wet-floor warning signs in place, unstable materials stacked too high on top of cupboards in a classroom that is in use, etc.
Near miss
- This is when something actually does happen, but the incident did not result in anybody sustaining a physical injury. For example: a ceiling tile suddenly falls onto an unoccupied desk at the back of a classroom during a lecture, a glass cup explodes when someone pours hot water into it but no one got cut or scalded, an individual stumbles over a patch of uneven flooring but manages to regain their balance without sustaining any physical injury