RIDDOR Reporting: Tips and Advice from Acorn Health & Safety
Recording and reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
Under RIDDOR the ‘responsible person’ is:
“An employer; or a self-employed person working on your own premises or domestic premises, and can also be a person in control of premises.”
These responsible persons must record and report certain incidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences involving employees, self-employed workers and members of the public. Additionally, the type of incident, injury, dangerous occurrence or individual injured will dictate WHEN you need to make a report. A Comprehensive list of what to report is available via the HSE website
The responsible person should complete the appropriate online report form which can also be found on the HSE website. The form will then be submitted directly to the RIDDOR database and you will receive a copy for your records. The report can be amended and should be updated as circumstances change.
All incidents can be reported online, but a telephone service is also provided for reporting fatal/specified, and major incidents only.
Reports may also be made by post, however, online reporting is the preferred method.
Details required for RIDDOR reporting include Information about you and your organisation, the date, time and place of the event, details of the kind of accident, the personal details of those involved, and of course a brief description of the injuries, event or disease.
It is always best to record details of all incidents and accidents, and where necessary, to report as soon as is practicable after the event to ensure that information given is as accurate and recent as possible
How do we support customers with accident reporting & investigations – RIDDOR
The depth to which an accident, incident or near miss is investigated is dependent on a number of factors with an investigation and any advice given being proportionate to the accident. It’s important to identify not only the immediate causes of accidents but also the underlying and root causes, important factors in learning lessons to prevent re-occurrence.
Accident investigations are undertaken by a qualified health and safety professional.
In most cases an accident investigation will include:
- Reviewing accident/incident forms and RIDDOR reports
- Reviewing witness statements and/or talking to those involved
- Reviewing a range of documentation including risk assessments, safe systems, inspection and maintenance records
Where necessary we will visit the site, take photographs and examine workplaces, machinery and equipment, liaising with other agencies as required.
Roger Broadbent, Consultant
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