RIDDOR Reporting: A Simple Guide for Your Business

Navigating the world of health and safety regulations can be a challenge 🤔. One of the most important, and sometimes confusing, is RIDDOR. But don’t worry, we’ve broken it down for you in this simple guide.

What is RIDDOR?

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. It’s a UK law that requires employers, and other people in charge of work premises, to report and keep records of:

• Work-related accidents that cause death.
• Work-related accidents that cause certain serious injuries (known as “reportable injuries”).
• Diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases.
• “Dangerous occurrences” (incidents that have the potential to cause harm).

The goal of RIDDOR is to enable the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities to monitor accident trends, identify risks, and investigate serious incidents.

What is a “Reportable Incident”? 📋

For an incident to be reportable, it must be “work-related”. This means that the way the work was carried out, the machinery or equipment used, or the condition of the workplace was a factor in the incident.

Here are the main categories of reportable incidents:

• Deaths: Any death of a worker or non-worker that is the result of a work-related accident must be reported. This includes deaths that occur within one year of the accident.
• Specified Injuries to Workers: These are a list of serious injuries, including: 🩹
  • Fractures (other than to fingers, thumbs, and toes).
  • Amputations.
  • Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight.
  • Crush injuries leading to internal organ damage.
  • Serious burns (covering more than 10% of the body, or damaging the eyes, respiratory system, or other vital organs).
  • Scalpings requiring hospital treatment.
  • Unconsciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia.
  • Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia, heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
• Injuries to Non-Workers: If a member of the public, or any other person not at work, is injured in a work-related accident and is taken directly from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment, the incident is reportable.
• Reportable Occupational Diseases: If a worker is diagnosed with a specific occupational disease that is likely to have been caused or made worse by their work, it must be reported. Examples 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 occupational exposure to a biological agent.
• Dangerous Occurrences: These are “near-miss” events that could have caused serious harm. There is a long list of dangerous occurrences, but some examples include:
  • The collapse, overturning, or failure of lifting equipment.
  • The accidental release of any substance that could cause injury to any person.
  • An electrical short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion.
• Gas Incidents: For gas engineers, there is a duty to report any gas appliances or fittings that they consider to be dangerous. For gas suppliers, a report is required if they learn that someone has died, lost consciousness, or been taken to hospital for treatment due to the gas they supplied.

Key Definitions

• Accident: An accident is a separate, identifiable, unintended incident that causes physical injury.
• Responsible Person: This is typically the employer, but can also be a self-employed person or the person in control of the work premises.

How to Report an Incident

The easiest and quickest way to report an incident is by using the online forms available on the HSE’s RIDDOR website 💻. There are different forms for different types of incidents.

For fatal and specified injuries only, you can report by telephone by calling the Incident Contact Centre 📞 on 0345 300 9923 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm).

You will need to provide the following information:

• Your organisation’s details.
• The date, time, and location of the incident.
• The personal details of the person(s) involved.
• A description of what happened.

Record Keeping 🗄️

You must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence. This can be done by keeping a copy of the completed online form. If you do not have a copy of the form, you should record the date, time, and place of the event, the personal details of those involved, and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease. These records must be kept for at least three years.

Conclusion

Understanding your responsibilities under RIDDOR is a crucial part of managing health and safety in your business. By ensuring you have a clear understanding of what needs to be reported and how to report it, you can help to keep your workplace safe and compliant with the law. ✅

We hope this guide has been helpful. If you have any questions about RIDDOR, or any other health and safety matter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.