In 2015/2016, 144 workers were killed as a result of a workplace accidents (RIDDOR, HSE), while an estimated 620,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury at work according to self-reports (HSE) yet only 72,702 of these non-fatal injuries to employees were reported by employers (RIDDOR, HSE).
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, or as it is more commonly known, RIDDOR, there is a legal requirement for workplace accidents to be recorded and reported to the appropriate body.
RIDDOR requirements place a legal duty on employers, those who are self-employed and those who are in control of a premises. These groups of people, otherwise known as responsible persons, must record and report certain incidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences involving employees, self-employed workers and members of the public.
Specified injuries which must be reported on include:
- A fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
- Amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe
- Permanent loss of sight or reduction of 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)
- Scalping’s
- Unconsciousness caused by head injury of asphyxia
- Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space, which leads to hypothermia, head-induced illness or requires admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
Injuries to a worker that last over seven days are also required to have a RIDDOR report submitted. These are injuries that result in an employee being away from or unable to undertake their regular duties at work for more than seven days in a row (not including the day when the accident happened).
Employers and self-employed people must also complete a RIDDOR report if an employee is diagnosed with certain occupational disease which their daily work tasks and environment has either contributed to, or made this worse. These include:
- Carpel tunnel syndrome
- Severe cramp of the hand or forearm
- Occupational dermatitis
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome
- Occupation asthma
- Tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand of forearm
- Any occupational cancer
- Any disease attributed to an occupational exposure to a biological agent
Responsible persons should complete the appropriate form online from the HSE website, where it is then directly submitted to the RIDDOR database. Only those categorised as “responsible people” can submit a report and the accident must be work related and the injury reportable.
There are seven different forms available to fill in, depending on the type of incident that has occurred:
- Report of an injury
- Report of a dangerous occurrence
- Report of an injury offshore
- Report of a dangerous occurrence offshore
- Report of a case of disease
- Report of flammable gas incident
- Report of dangerous gas fitting
The forms require different information and detail depending on what type of accident or incident that has taken place. For example, reporting an injury requires information about you and your organisation, the incident and where It happened, about the kind of incident that occurred and information about the injured person and their injuries.
Not all accidents need to be reported as a RIDDOR is only required when the accident is “work-related” and results in an injury of a type which is reportable. There are a few issues you can consider when determining whether an accident is work related:
- The way the work was organised, carried out or supervised
- Any machinery, plant, substances or equipment used for work
- The condition of the site or premises where the accident happened
RIDDOR reporting is a legal requirement, and once reports have been submitted it makes it easier to see areas which could be improved to stop these accidents happening again. It is imperative that any employee involved in either of an incident with regard to the seven categories to check that your employer has submitted the report.
Although not every injury must have a RIDDOR report submitted, it is recommended for employers and self-employed persons keep an accidents and injuries book to report anything which happens at work.
For more information on RIDDOR reporting visit the HSE website.
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