Accident Reporting

The main rules on reporting of accidents are the Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (known as RIDDOR).

An employer is obliged to notify the HSE or local authority of any accident arising or in connection with work that results in: -

a) A death’

b) A major injury (such as amputation, fractures, chemical burns, loss of sight and any injury requiring hospital attendance of more than 24hrs),

c) Hospital treatment of a person not at work, or as a result of an accident in connection with work at a hospital,

d) A dangerous occurrence,

e) An accident connected with work that has resulted in a worker being incapacitated for work for more than 3 days,

f) The death of an employee within 1 year of being injured as a result of a notifiable accident (whether or not the accident was reported at the time it actually occurred),

g) Any person suffering from a “reportable” work-related disease, and

h) Any “gas incident”.

There are time limits on reporting. The HSE has a central reporting system for the whole of the U.K. “Accident” is interpreted quite widely, and includes non-consensual physical violence on a person at work.

The self-employed, such as contractors, are covered by the regulations if they were working under the control of someone else. In this situation the responsibility for reporting usually falls to the person in control of the premises at which the accident happened.

Records of notifiable accidents and dangerous occurrences must be kept for a period of at least 3 years, and kept at the usual place of work to which they relate. An accident book must be kept by every employer that normally employs 10 or more persons on or around the premises in connection with a trade or business.

It is always important that staff understand their obligations and expectations, as well as appropriate responsibilities in relation to Health & Safety (payg H&S Policy).