Hazards, incidents and near misses

Queensland Health is committed to providing safe and healthy workplaces for employees, patients, consumers, visitors and volunteers. As a QH Leader, you play an important role in identifying hazards, responding to incidents, and encouraging the reporting of near misses. Prompt action, open communication, and a proactive approach to risk management help prevent harm, support employee wellbeing, and contribute to a positive safety culture where people feel safe to speak up and supported to work safely.

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  • Workplace hazards, incidents & near misses are
  • Considerations
  • Take action

Hazards, incidents and near misses

  • A hazard is anything that has the potential to cause harm, injury, illness, or damage in the workplace.

  • An incident is an event that results in, or could result in, injury, illness, harm, or damage.

  • A near miss is an unplanned event that did not cause injury or harm, but had the potential to do so.

Key considerations

  • Hazards, incidents and near misses provide opportunities to learn and improve workplace safety.

  • Employees are more likely to report concerns when they feel safe to speak up without fear of blame.

  • Timely reporting and action can help prevent future harm.

  • Some risks may not be immediately obvious and require ongoing monitoring.

  • Effective risk management is a shared responsibility across the workplace.

  • Lessons learned should be communicated and applied to prevent recurrence.

As a leader - hazards:

  • Identify and address workplace hazards as early as possible.

  • Encourage employees to report hazards and safety concerns promptly.

  • Consult with employees about risks and safe ways of working.

  • Ensure appropriate controls are implemented and monitored.

  • Promote safe work practices and compliance with procedures.

As a leader - incidents:

  • Respond promptly to ensure the immediate safety and wellbeing of people involved.

  • Ensure incidents are reported through the appropriate Queensland Health systems and processes.

  • Participate in incident reviews and support investigations where required.

  • Communicate openly and respectfully with affected employees.

  • Identify actions to reduce the risk of recurrence.

As a leader - near misses:

  • Encourage reporting of near misses without blame or fear of criticism.

  • Treat near misses as opportunities to learn and improve safety practices.

  • Review contributing factors and implement preventative actions.

  • Reinforce the importance of speaking up about risks and unsafe situations.

  • Share learnings with the team to improve awareness and prevention.

Reporting

  • All hazards, incidents and near misses must be reported using our incident reporting system, RiskMan.

  • RiskMan is a single state-wide integrated information system to collect, integrate, manage and report clinical incidents, workplace incidents, consumer feedback and risk. By reporting you are ensuring that, where relevant, an investigation will be carried out, and remedial actions implemented to prevent injury to others.

  • Incident reports document actions taken to assist an injured employee which is important to ensure the employee receives all support available to them.

  • Reporting ensures valuable data is captured highlighting hazard and risk trends across your HHS and identify where focus and actions are required to assure safety.

RiskMan

Why it's important

In addition to your legislative responsibility:

  • Safe workplaces foster employee wellbeing by helping people feel respected valued and supported.

  • Inclusive environments attract and recruit diverse talent.

  • Safe onboarding environments help employees ask questions, learn and build confidence.

  • Psychologically safe teams encourage learning, feedback and innovation.

  • Supportive workplaces improve wellbeing, belonging and employee retention.