What Is RIDDOR Reporting?
Accidents and injuries can happen in any workplace, despite the strictest health and safety guidance. Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, also known as RIDDOR, certain accidents and injuries must be reported to help keep a record of incidents in the workplace. All ‘responsible persons’ must comply with RIDDOR, and have a good knowledge and understanding of the regulations.
In this article, we’ll explain what is RIDDOR reporting and why it’s important for your workplace.
What is RIDDOR?
RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. It is the legal obligation for employers, employees and those responsible for workplace safety to report accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous consequences. RIDDOR helps to maintain health and safety in workplaces by ensuring all incidents are properly recorded and reviewed to help improve standards and prevent future accidents.
Reports made under RIDDOR are shared with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), that uses the data provided to help identify any trends while providing valuable insights that could help improve health and safety practices.
Why is RIDDOR important?
According to the HSE, 61,713 injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR in 2021 -22, and 1.8 million working people were reported to be suffering from a work-related illness. RIDDOR exists to help employers take more responsibility for the health and safety of their employers, helping to address poor practices and to prevent similar accidents in the future.
RIDDOR helps keep employers accountable, with penalties in place for those who fail to report incidents in the workplace.
What needs to be reported under RIDDOR?
There are various incidents that need to be reported under RIDDOR, including:
Injuries
Diseases
Dangerous Occurrences
Gas incidents
These can relate to workers, and non-workers if they are taken to hospital for an injury.
What are your reporting obligations under RIDDOR?
Anyone designated a responsible person in the workplace (such as a manager, owner, or business owner) has a legal responsibility under RIDDOR to report incidents in the workplace.
While employees do not have a legal responsibility for reporting under RIDDOR, there is still an expectation to report incidents to a supervisor or manager who can then file the RIDDOR report if necessary. Members of the public and general workers aren’t able to report incidents with HSE and therefore should make a responsible person aware.
What are some examples of reportable injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences?
While different types of accidents and injuries can occur at work, not all are subject to RIDDOR. Some examples of reportable injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences from the HSE include:
The death of a person
The death of any person due to a work-related accident needs to be reported under RIDDOR. This can extend to death as a result of physical violence towards an employee.
Injuries
Different types of injuries requiring a RIDDOR report include fractures (except for fingers and toes), amputations, sight loss, serious burns, loss of consciousness caused by a head injury or asphyxia, and injuries which require resuscitation or hospital admittance for more than 24 hours.
An injury at work leading to an over-7-day incapacitation
If an accident causes an injury where the employee is unable to work for more than seven consecutive days, the incident needs to be reported within 15 days of the accident.
An injury at work leading to a 3-day incapacitation
If an accident causes an injury where the employee is unable to work for more than three consecutive days, the accident needs to be recorded, but not reported at his stage. This should be recorded in your workplace accident book.
Work-related diseases
Some diseases can be caused or worsened by work, including carpal tunnel syndrome, occupational dermatitis, occupational asthma, occupational cancer, and others. These incidents should be reported under RIDDOR.
Dangerous occurrences
A dangerous occurrence is a type of ‘near-miss’ event, and can relate to the release of substances, collapse/overturning of equipment, or incidents affecting railways, mines, quarries and other specified workplaces.
What are the penalties for non-compliance with RIDDOR?
RIDDOR has some strict consequences for failure to report incidents. Depending on the seriousness of the incident, businesses could face unlimited fines, with responsible persons also facing up to two years in prison. Not reporting RIDDOR is a criminal offence and therefore should be taken seriously by those responsible.
Where to find help with your RIDDOR reporting
Many organisations provide RIDDOR training to help you become more familiar with the types of incidents that need reporting, and how to report them.
You can make a RIDDOR report online or by telephone, and the HSE has guidance on how to do this on their website.
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Health and safety is a priority for any employer, and taking strict measures to ensure health and safety can limit the need for RIDDOR reporting in the first place. At phs Besafe, we stock a wide range of protective workwear designed to keep workers across a variety of industries safe from harm. Explore our products and services in more detail or contact us to see how we can help you maintain health and safety in the workplace.