This article is based on the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1995 (RIDDOR). The regulations came into force on 1st April 1996 and were updated in 2013.
What is RIDDOR?
RIDDOR is an abbreviation of 'Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations'.
These regulations give employers an obligation to report accidents, injuries, dangerous occurrences and outbreaks of diseases and that occur to employees, contractors or customers on work premises. They apply to all work related activities, but not to all work related incidents.
Reports are made to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a government department tasked with monitoring and investigating serious accidents so as to prevent future occurrences and create a safer work environment. Part of the role of the HSE is to advise employers on preventative action that can be taken to reduce injury, ill health and accidental loss. Most accidents reported under RIDDOR are caused by poor manual handling of goods.
Compliance
In brief, employers must report:
- deaths and major injuries, including any resulting from physical violence
- outbreaks of diseases
- dangerous occurrences
Reportable injuries
Reportable major injuries as described by RIDDOR include:
- fractures 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
- any other injury requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
- acute illness requiring medical treatment, or loss of consciousness arising from absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin
- accidents resulting in 3 or more days off from work
If the incident is fatal, you should telephone the Incident Report Centre as soon after the incident as possible. Note that this is not a means of contacting the emergency services.
You should then report the incident online. You can no longer report it using a paper form.
Reportable diseases
The disease must be acknowledged by a doctor, as well as the employee or self employed person at your workplace who contracts it.
You should report the disease online as soon as possible. You can no longer report it using a paper form.
Reportable diseases include, but are not limited to:
- certain poisonings
- some skin diseases
- lung disease, including asthma
- infections such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, anthrax, tetanus and others
- other infections such as decompression illness, occupational cancer and hand-arm vibration syndrome
Dangerous occurrences
If an accident happens that does not fall under the category of a reportable injury, it may still be reportable as a dangerous occurrence.
We recommend you to report it in order to stay within the Regulations.
To do so, complete the online form.
Dangerous occurrences include, but are not limited to:
- an explosion or collapse of any closed vessel or pipe work
- collapse, overturn or failure of any lifting equipment
- failure of any freight container in its load-bearing parts
- plant o equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines
- short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion
- any unintentional explosion causing fire, damage or injury
- release of any biological agent likely to cause human harm
- malfunction of breathing apparatus, while in testing or use
- failure of any equipment used in diving, including the entrapment of diving, an explosion near a diver, or an uncontrolled ascent
- collapse of scaffold over 5m
- collision of a train with any vehicle
- a dangerous occurrence at a well, other than a water well
- a dangerous occurrence at a pipeline
Reporting if you are self employed
If you are self employed and working on a client’s premises, your client should report the accident or occurrence.
If however, you are working on your own premises, you should make the report. Do so online.
How do I make a report?
There is an Incident report centre designed to be the first point of contact for all accidents.
All information and the online form for making a report can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm.
What must I record?
As well as making the report, you must keep a record of any incidents for three years. The details you must record are:
- the date and method of reporting
- the date, time and place to the accident
- personal details of those involved
- a brief description of the event, or disease
Create a health and safety management system
There are also sound business reasons for paying thorough attention to workplace health and safety, and for making sure that you have the appropriate expertise that can help you with proper implementation of the Regulations.
You are under an obligation to provide employees with a safe working environment. Additionally, workplace injury and ill health are expensive affairs, especially in the UK.
We suggest that you should set up your own employee policies relating to health, safety and environment, and a management system that helps ensure compliance with the requirements of RIDDOR and aids you in making and recording assessments.