Accident Definition
An accident is an unexpected event, typically sudden in nature and associated with injury, loss, or harm. It can occur anywhere, including in the home, during transportation, in the hospital, on the sports field, or in the workplace. Accidents can result in injury or permanent disability to large numbers of people worldwide every year and may involve damage to or loss of property. According to Merriam-Webster, an accident is "an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance" and "an unfortunate event resulting in injury, harm, or loss". Wikipedia defines an accident as "an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans" and implies that nobody should be blamed for it. Dictionary.com describes an accident as "an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss".
Incidents and Near Misses
An incident is an event that has unintentionally happened but may not result in damage, harm, or injury. Therefore, every accident can be an incident, but not all incidents can be termed as accidents. A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, damage, or illness, but could have done so. It may leave the individual shaken up or shocked, but they were not actually injured.
