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First Aid

Reporting Incidents

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It's a legal requirement!

RIDDOR puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).

When to report

Over-three-day incapacitation

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Accidents must be recorded, but not reported where they result in a worker being incapacitated for more than three consecutive days. If you are an employer, who must keep an accident book under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, that record will be enough.

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Over-seven-day incapacitation of a worker

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Accidents must be reported where they result in an employee or self-employed person being away from work, or unable to perform their normal work duties, for more than seven consecutive days as the result of their injury. This seven day period does not include the day of the accident, but does include weekends and rest days. The report must be made within 15 days of the accident.

Over

3 days

Over

7 days

Non Workers (public) 

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Accidents to members of the public or others who are not at work must be reported if they result in an injury and the person is taken directly from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment to that injury. Examinations and diagnostic tests do not constitute ‘treatment’ in such circumstances.

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There is no need to report incidents where people are taken to hospital purely as a precaution when no injury is apparent.

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A report must be received within 10 days of the incident.

What should be reported?

What information should be recorded?

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Useful information to record includes:

  • the date, time and place of the incident;

  • the name and job of the injured or ill person;

  • details of the injury/illness and what first aid was given;

  • details about what happened to the person immediately afterwards (eg went back to work, went home, went to hospital); and

  • the name and signature of the first-aider or person dealing with the incident.

 

Deaths and injuries

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If someone has died or has been injured because of a work-related accident this may have to be reported.

 

Not all accidents need to be reported, other than for certain gas incidents, a RIDDOR report is required only when:

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  • the accident is work-related

  • it results in an injury of a type which is reportable

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Specified injuries to workers

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The list of ‘specified injuries’ in RIDDOR 2013 replaces the previous list of ‘major injuries’ in RIDDOR 1995. Specified injuries are (regulation 4):

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  • fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes

  • amputations

  • any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight

  • any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs

  • serious burns (including scalding) which:

    • covers more than 10% of the body

    • causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs

  • any scalping requiring hospital treatment

  • any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia

  • any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which:

    • leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness

    • requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

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Occupational diseases

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This means any injury short or long term that have been caused due to work activities, these can include:

* carpal tunnel syndrome

* severe cramp of the hand or forearm

* occupational dermatitis

* hand-arm vibration syndrome

* occupational asthma

* tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm

* any occupational cancer
* any disease attributed to an occupational exposure to a biological agent.

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Dangerous occurrences (near misses)

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Dangerous occurrences are certain, specified near-miss events. Not all such events require reporting.

 

The Health & Safety Executive have listed 27 categories of dangerous occurrences that are relevant to most workplaces,

 

Some examples are:

  • the collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment;

  • plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines;

  • the accidental release of any substance which could cause injury to any person.

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Gas incidents

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Distributors, fillers, importers & suppliers of flammable gas must report  incidents where someone has died, lost consciousness, or been taken to hospital for treatment to an injury arising in connection with that gas.The danger could be due to the design, construction, installation, modification or servicing of that appliance or fitting, which could cause:

  • an accidental leakage of gas;

  • incomplete combustion of gas or;

  • inadequate removal of products of the combustion of gas.

RIDDOR exemptions

Reports on the following are not required under RIDDOR:

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  • accidents during medical or dental treatment, or during any examination carried out or supervised by a doctor or dentist

  • accidents involving a moving vehicle on a public road (other than those associated with: loading or unloading operations; work alongside the road such as road maintenance; escapes of substances from the vehicle and accidents involving trains)

  • accidents to members of the armed forces on duty

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Reports are not required under RIDDOR where this would duplicate other similar reporting requirements, including reports required under the:

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  • Nuclear Installations Act 1965

  • Merchant Shipping Act 1988

  • Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999

  • Civil Aviation (Investigation of Military Air Accidents at Civil Aerodromes) Regulations 2005

  • Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 1996

  • Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002

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HSE can grant further exemptions to RIDDOR:

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HSE has limited power to grant exemptions to the requirements of these Regulations. We can only grant an exemption where the provisions of European legislation allow it. We also need to be satisfied that it will not affect people’s health and safety negatively.

Who should report?

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In regards to the first aid book it is normally the first-aider or appointed person who looks after the book. However, employers have overall responsibility.

 

Only ‘responsible persons’ including employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises should submit reports under RIDDOR.

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If you are an employer

You must report any work-related deaths, and certain work-related injuries, cases of disease, and near misses involving your employees wherever they are working.

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If you are in control of premises:

You must report any work-related deaths, certain injuries to members of the public and self-employed people on your premises, and dangerous occurrences (some near miss incidents) that occur on your premises.

Brainstorming

Record Keeping

You must keep a record of any reportable injury, over-three day injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. You can print and/or save a copy of the online form. A copy of the form will be automatically emailed to the email address provided by you.

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If you do not keep a copy of the online form your records must include the date and method of reporting; the date, time and place of the event; personal details of those involved; and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease.

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In the case of accidents, employers who must keep an accident book (B1510) under Social security Law can use this for keeping the records of injuries although, a separate method will be needed for cases of disease.

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Information supplied to HSE in a RIDDOR report is not passed on to your insurance company. If you think your insurer needs to know about a work-related accident, injury or case of ill health, please remember to contact them separately – insurers have told us that reporting injuries and illnesses at work to them quickly could save you time and money.

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Making a RIDDOR report

Reporting online

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​Responsible persons should complete the appropriate online report form listed below. The form will then be submitted directly to the RIDDOR database. You will receive a copy for your records.

  • Report of an injury

  • Report of a dangerous occurrence

  • Report of an injury offshore

  • Report of a dangerous occurrence offshore

  • Report of a case of disease

Telephone

 

All incidents can be reported online but a telephone service is also provided for reporting fatal/specified, and major incidents only - call the Incident Contact Centre on 0345 300 9923 (opening hours Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5 pm).

0345 300 9923

Paper forms

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There is no longer a paper form for RIDDOR reporting, since the online system is the preferred reporting mechanism. Should it be essential for you to submit a report by post, it should be sent to:

RIDDOR Reports

Health and Safety Executive

Redgrave Court

Merton Road

Bootle

Merseyside

L20 7HS

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