RIDDOR :The Basics

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The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) places a legal duty on employers, self employed persons and individuals in control of premises (landlords, letting agents etc) to report any work-related death, major breaches of workplace health and safety, major injuries and over-three-day injuries, work related diseases and dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Executive.

RIDDOR is one of the fundamental elements of workplace health and safety management and is a legal requirement for every business or organisation regardless of their operation. When employers and business owners adhere to RIDDOR, they provide the HSE with valuable health & safety information which can lead to the identification of risks and the thorough investigation of any serious breaches to workplace health and safety. Businesses that follow RIDDOR can also gain valuable advice on effective health and safety management directly from the HSE which can help to reduce serious risks to workplace health and safety in the future

The HSE outlines clear guidelines for the reporting of incidents, and in most cases serious risks to health and safety in the workplace need to be reported immediately. To improve reporting procedures the HSE has created the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) which is a dedicated reporting service for incidents which cause risk to health and safety at work. The ICC takes a full account of all RIDDOR-related incidents and creates a report which is sent to the relevant enforcement authority. Businesses will also receive copies of their report, and can use this to comply with RIDDOR health and safety management requirements. The ICC can be contacted in numerous ways including: phone - 0845 300 9923, email – riddor@connaught.plc.uk, online and through the postal service.

RIDDOR places responsibility for record-keeping on business owners and employers. Any RIDDOR-related incidents which are reported or pose a threat to health and safety in the workplace need to be recorded in a methodical manner. Businesses must record the date and method of reporting, date time and place of the incident, personal details of individuals involved in the incident and a description of the incident. The records can be kept in any format provided that they are continually accessible, popular formats include- computerised databases, accident books and written logs. RIDDOR records are an important part of a workplace’s health and safety system and should be treated as such.

Deaths at work

Major Injuries which include – amputation; dislocations of shoulder, hip, knee or spine; temporary or permanent loss of sight; burns or penetrating injuries to eyes; electric shock or electrical burn which leads to unconsciousness or injury; any injury or illness leading to hypothermia, unconsciousness, or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours; acute illness which requires hospitalisation or medical treatment; loss of consciousness from inhalation, ingestion or skin contact with substances or chemicals; acute illness following exposure to biological agents, toxins or infected materials

Over-three-day Injuries – which have been caused by work-related accidents or incidents (including acts of physical violence) and are not “major” but result in over-three-day absences

Work-Related Diseases which include – poisoning; skin diseases including skin cancer, acne, occupational skin conditions and chrome ulcer; lung diseases including pneumoconiosis, asbestosis and occupational asthma; general infections including hepatitis, TB, anthrax, tetanus and legionellosis; occupational cancers; musculoskeletal disorders and decompression illnesses

Dangerous Occurrences which include – failure or collapse of load-bearing equipment; electrical short circuits or overloads which lead to fires or explosions; injury caused by unintentional explosions; accidental release of harmful biological agents; partial collapse or full collapse of scaffolding equipment erected near water or over 5 metres high; unintentional collapse of any structure under construction, alteration or demolition; unintentional collapse of any wall or floor in a workplace; fire or explosion resulting in suspension of work for 24 hours or more; accidental release of harmful substances

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