What should the EO report to the master?

• A. Environmental targets
• B. Near misses so that future preventative actions can occur
• C. Issues that cannot be resolved
• D. Other

Answer: (B)

Proactive risk management relies on learning from near misses. A near miss is an event that could have caused environmental harm but didn’t, often thanks to quick action or luck. When the EO reports these to the master, it creates a real-time signal that preventive steps can be taken now—adjusting procedures, initiating corrective actions, or reinforcing training before a real incident occurs. This keeps the environmental management process focused on prevention and continuous improvement, turning close calls into concrete safeguards. Environmental targets matter for measuring performance, but they don’t inherently drive immediate corrective actions like a near-miss report does. Issues that can’t be resolved on the spot still need escalation, but they don’t provide the immediate preventive trigger that a near-miss report does.