Reporting accidents guidance (RIDDOR)

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. These Regulations came into force on 1 April 1996.

Why do I need to know about RIDDOR?

If you are an employer, self-employed or in control of work premises you will have duties under RIDDOR. RIDDOR requires you to report some work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. It applies to all work activities.

What do I need to do?

Not very much! For most businesses, a reportable accident, dangerous occurrence or case of disease is a comparatively rare event. Please spend five minutes reading this guidance, then keep it handy so you'll know what to do if you need to make a report.

Why should I report?

Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environmental Health Departments to identify where and how risks arise and to investigate serious accidents. We can then help you and give you advice on how to reduce injury, ill health and accidental loss.

When do I need to make a report?

Death or major injury

If there is an accident connected with work and: your employee, or a self-employed person working on your premises is killed or suffers a major injury (including as a result of physical violence); or a member of the public is killed or taken to hospital;

you must notify the enforcing authority without delay (e.g. by telephone). They will ask for brief details about your business, the injured person and the accident; and
within ten days you must follow this up with a completed accident report form which can be completed by contacting the Incident Contact Centre. A form is included with this guidance, which you may copy.

Over-three-day injury

If there is an accident connected with work (including an act of physical violence) and your employee, or a self-employed person working on your premises, suffers an over-three day injury you must complete an accident report form (F2508) which must be sent to the enforcing authority within ten days.

An over-three-day injury is one which is not major but results in the injured person being away from work or unable to do the full range of their normal duties for more than three days (including any days they wouldn't normally be expected to work such as weekends, rest days or holidays) not counting the day of the injury itself.

Disease

If a doctor notifies you that your employee suffers from a reportable work-related disease you must complete an .accident report form (F2508) disease report form (F2508A) which must be sent to the enforcing authority.

Dangerous occurrence

If something happens which does not result in a reportable injury, but which clearly could have done, it may be a dangerous occurrence, which must be reported immediately (e.g. by telephone) to the enforcing authority.

Within ten days you must follow this up with a completed accident report form.

I'm self-employed. How does this apply to me?

If you are working in someone else's premises and suffer either a major injury or an injury, which means you, cannot do the full range of your normal work for more than three days, that person will be responsible for reporting your injury; so, if possible, you should make sure they know about it. If you are working in your own premises, and you or a member of the public is injured; or there is a dangerous occurrence; or a doctor tells you have a work-related disease or condition you need to report it. But, as a self-employed person you don't need to notify immediately if you suffer a major injury on your own premises. However, either you or someone acting for you must complete an accident report form (F2508) which must be sent to the enforcing authority within ten days.

Who do I report to?

You can report to the Incident Contact Centre via a number of methods:

by phone 0345 300 9923 (8.30am - 5.00pm)
by email riddor@natbrit.com
by post Incident Contact Centre, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG

Alternatively, you may contact the Environmental Health Division of South Ayrshire Council if your business is:

office-based;
retail or wholesale;
warehousing;
hotel and catering;
sports or leisure;
residential accommodation, excluding nursing homes;
concerned with places of worship;
pre-school child care;
mobile vending.

For all other types of business it will be the Health and Safety Executive. The contact numbers are at the end of the guidance.

What records do I need to keep?

You must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease or dangerous occurrence for three years after the date on which it happened. This 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.

Guidance on keeping records

You could, for example, choose to keep your records by:

keeping copies of report forms in a file;
recording the details on a computer;
maintaining a written log.

You can keep the record in any form you wish. If you use the Internet or phone to report, you may not have your own copy of the official reporting forms (F2508/F2508A). To help with this you will be sent a copy of your own report and given the chance to correct any errors in it.

Is that all?

Yes - for the majority of people with duties under the Regulations this guidance contains all you need to know. If you have any questions, for example on reportable dangerous occurrences or diseases, just ring Environmental Health. If, however, you would like to have more information to hand, a priced guide " A Guide to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 L73(HSE) ISBN 0 7176 2431 is available from HSE Books It contains the full text of the Regulations and notes on interpretation. It also includes the lists of reportable diseases and dangerous occurrences. Contact details are available at the end of this guidance.

Definition of major injuries, dangerous occurrences and diseases.

Reportable major injuries are:

fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes;
amputation;
dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine;
loss of sight (temporary or permanent);
chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye;
injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
any other injury: leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or unconsciousness; or requiring resuscitation; or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
unconsciousness caused by asphyxia or exposure to a harmful substance or biological agent;
acute illness requiring medical treatment, or loss of consciousness arising from absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin;
acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted from exposure to a biological agent or its toxins or infected material.

Reportable dangerous occurrences are:

collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment;
explosion, collapse or bursting of any closed vessel or associated pipework;
failure of any freight container in any of its load-bearing parts;
plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines;
electrical short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion;
any unintentional explosion, misfire, failure of demolition to cause the intended collapse, projection of material beyond a site boundary, injury caused by an explosion;
accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness;
failure of industrial radiography or irradiation equipment to de-energise or return to its safe position after the intended exposure period;
malfunction of breathing apparatus while in use or during testing immediately before use;
failure or endangering of diving equipment, the trapping of a diver, an explosion near a diver, or an uncontrolled ascent;
collapse or partial collapse of a scaffold over five metres high, or erected near water where there could be a risk of drowning after a fall;
unintended collision of a train with any vehicle;
dangerous occurrence at a well (other than a water well);
dangerous occurrence at a pipeline;
failure of any load-bearing fairground equipment, or derailment or unintended collision of cars or trains;
a road tanker carrying a dangerous substance overturns, suffers serious damage, catches fire or the substance is released;
a dangerous substance being conveyed by road is involved in a fire or released;

The following dangerous occurrences are reportable except in relation to offshore workplaces:

unintended collapse of: any building or structure under construction, alteration or demolition where over five tonnes of material falls; a wall or floor in a place of work; any false-work;
explosion or fire causing suspension of normal work for over 24 hours;
sudden, uncontrolled release in a building of:
- 100 kg or more of a flammable liquid;
- 10 kg or more of a flammable liquid above its boiling point; or
- 10 kg or more of a flammable gas; or
- 500 kg of these substances if the release is in the open air;
accidental release of any substance which may damage health. Note: additional categories of dangerous occurrences apply to mines, quarries, relevant transport systems (railways etc) and offshore workplaces.

Reportable diseases include:

certain poisonings;
some skin diseases such as occupational dermatitis, skin cancer, chrome ulcer, oil folliculitis/acne;
lung diseases including occupational asthma, farmer's lung, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma;
infections such as leptospirosis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, anthrax, legionellosis and tetanus;
other conditions such as: occupational cancer, certain musculoskeletal disorders, decompression illness and hand-arm vibration syndrome.

HSE Books
Website: books.hse.gov.uk/

Health And Safety Executive
Website: www.hse.gov.uk