What is a safety concern?
A safety concern is anything a worker wants looked at that is not yet an injury, an incident or a named hazard, such as a missing guard, a rushed job or a shortcut that has become normal.
What it means.
No OSHA rule defines it. The word comes from OSHA's Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs, which tell employers to give workers a way to report injuries, illnesses, incidents (including near misses and close calls), hazards, and safety and health concerns. OSHA describes those practices as recommendations only.
Concern is a useful catch-all. It lets someone write the thing down without first deciding whether it is a hazard, a near miss or an observation, which is where many reports stall.
Where it shows up on a job.
A crew member mentions at the start of a shift that a ladder keeps getting left by the press, or that a new contractor seems unsure of the isolation steps. Neither has hurt anyone. Written down with a location and a name to follow up, it can be checked and closed before it becomes something else.
Where this comes from.
Each source was read on 22 October 2026. Guidance is advice; a regulation is the rule.
- OSHA 3885, Recommended Practices for Safety and Health ProgramsOccupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA guidance, advisory. What workers should be able to report, and how.
A plain-language definition, not legal advice. For a decision on your site, read the standard that applies to it.
Related terms
- safety observation
A safety observation is a note that someone saw a condition or a behavior, safe or unsafe, usually written before anyone is hurt.
- near miss
A near miss is an event that could have hurt someone and did not, often by luck; OSHA also calls it a close call.
- hazard
A hazard is anything at work that can hurt someone if it is not controlled: a condition, a task, a chemical or a source of energy.
- corrective action
A corrective action is the specific fix assigned after a hazard, near miss or incident, with a person responsible, a due date and a check that it was actually done.
In PanoraSafety findings: Turn a finding filed on a phone into work with an owner, a due date and a dated log.