Workplace accident recording and reporting is required under law by the:
- Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, Regulation 25 (Suitable Accident book Data Protection Act 1998 compliant BI 510)
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
Anyone injured at work is required to inform the employer and record the information, including details of how the accident happened.
Similarly members of the public affected by work activities resulting in injury should be recorded and reported if appropriate.
Following any significant accident or incident employers should record details of all occurrences and subsequent investigations so if the accident becomes reportable under (RIDDOR) they have all the information required. They are also useful should civil action be taken in a claim for damages.
Investigations should ideally be carried out by management who have full knowledge of the workplace and systems as soon as is practicable. They should be self critical where needed and implement corrective actions as soon as possible. Staff must be advised of the causes and new control measures established to prevent recurrence and where necessary re train as required.
Staff should be encouraged to report incidents as well as accidents and they should be investigated as thoroughly as all accidents.
Remember that prevention is better than cure.
RIDDOR requires employers and the self-employed and those in control of premises to report certain accidents, ill health and incidents to the enforcing authorities via their Incident Contact Centre. These include:
- Death or major injuries.
- Over three days lost time.
- Reportable work-related diseases.
- Dangerous occurrences.
- Occupational ill health.
Death or Major Injury
If an accident occurs at work and an employee or self employed person working on the premise is killed or suffers major injury and/or a member of the public is killed or taken to hospital, the company shall notify the enforcing authority without delay by telephone to communicate details of the company and the injured person(s) and the circumstances of the accident.
Over Seven Day Lost Time Injury
If an accident occurs at work (including physical violence) and an employee, or self employed person working on the premises, suffers an injury and is away from work for more than seven days (including weekends, rest days or holidays), but not counting the day of the accident, then the company shall submit a report within 15 days.
Dangerous Occurrence
If an incident occurs and does not result in injury, but is defined as a Dangerous Occurrence, then the company shall report the incident immediately to the Incident Contact Centre and shall arrange to complete a Form 2508 within 15 days.
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 flammable liquid; 10 kg of flammable liquid above its boiling point; 10 kg or more of flammable gas; or of 500 kg of these substances if the release is in the open air;
- Accidental release of any substance which may damage health.
Occupational Ill health
The Company shall, if appropriate, inform the Incident Contact Centre on line www.hse.gov.uk/riddor by submission of Form F2508A.
Contact the ICC
- By phone: 0845 300 99 23 (local rate) (Monday to Friday 08.30 hours to 17.00 hours
- Online: HSE RIDDOR – www.hse.gov.uk/riddor
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