The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) require employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises to report certain serious workplace incidents to the Health and Safety Executive. Getting the deadlines right matters, but so does what happens next: investigating, learning and preventing it happening again.
What must be reported
- Work-related deaths of workers and non-workers (other than suicides).
- Specified injuries to workers, such as fractures other than to fingers, thumbs or toes, amputations, serious burns, loss of consciousness from a head injury or asphyxia, and injuries likely to cause permanent loss of sight.
- Injuries that keep a worker off work, or unable to do their normal duties, for more than seven consecutive days, not counting the day of the accident but counting weekends and rest days.
- Injuries to non-workers, such as visitors or customers, who are taken from the scene straight to hospital for treatment.
- Certain diagnosed occupational diseases, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, hand-arm vibration syndrome, occupational dermatitis and occupational asthma, where work is a likely cause.
- Dangerous occurrences: specified near-miss events listed in the regulations, such as the collapse of lifting equipment or certain electrical incidents, even if nobody was hurt.
The deadlines
- Deaths, specified injuries and dangerous occurrences: notify HSE without delay, and report within 10 days of the incident.
- Over-seven-day injuries: report within 15 days of the accident.
- Occupational diseases: report as soon as you receive a doctor's written diagnosis.
Most reports are made online through the HSE website. Injuries that keep someone off work for more than three days must be recorded, for example in your accident book, even though they are not reported. Keep RIDDOR records for at least three years.
Record every incident, not just the reportable ones
Near misses and minor injuries are free lessons. A simple, quick reporting route, available to everyone including staff without a desk, makes people far more likely to report. For each incident capture what happened, where and when, who was involved, any injury and treatment, and immediate actions taken.
Investigating an incident
- Secure the scene and gather facts quickly: photographs, statements and records.
- Find out what happened and why, looking beyond the immediate cause to the underlying causes: was the task planned, were people trained, did the controls work?
- Use a structured method such as the five whys or a fishbone diagram to reach root causes.
- Choose actions using the hierarchy of control: eliminate the hazard, substitute, engineer it out, change the system of work, and use PPE last.
- Assign each action to a person with a date, and check later that it worked.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for making a RIDDOR report?
The "responsible person", usually the employer of the injured worker, or the person in control of the premises for injuries to members of the public. Self-employed people report their own injuries in some cases.
Do I report an injury if the person returns to light duties?
If they cannot do their normal work for more than seven consecutive days, it counts as over-seven-day incapacitation even if they are at work on lighter duties.
Does RIDDOR apply in Scotland?
Yes. RIDDOR 2013 applies across Great Britain, and reports go to HSE. Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations, reported to HSENI.
This guide is general information for UK businesses, not legal advice. Check the current regulations and HSE guidance at hse.gov.uk, and take professional advice for your situation.