What is RIDDOR?
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. This is UK legislation that requires employers to report and record workplace accidents and incidents that result in a fatality, serious injuries, certain diseases, and other dangerous occurrences. It provides a structured approach to reporting health and safety incidents.
Understanding what RIDDOR is and how it works is important to all employers as they have a legal duty for such reporting and record keeping. It holds employers responsible for any poor working conditions or negligence that results in workplace injuries and fatalities. Employers meet their duty of care and can improve health and safety procedures.
We’ve answered your key questions about what RIDDOR is, why it’s important, and how it works to make recording and reporting incidents in your workplace easy.
When did RIDDOR come into force?
RIDDOR was first introduced in 1995 to replace the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (NADOR), which was brought in from 1980. It was then updated with changes coming into force from 1 October 2013, which is the current version.
These changes were to:
- Replace the classification of major injuries with a shorter list of specified injuries
- Introduce eight categories of reportable work-related illness in place of the previous 47 types
- Have fewer kinds of ‘dangerous occurrence’ that need reporting
Why is RIDDOR important?
RIDDOR is important to protect employees and businesses from hazards and risks of accidents, injuries, and illness due to work-related incidents. More than 500,000 injuries still happen at workplaces across the UK every year with 1.8 million people suffering from work-related illnesses. RIDDOR aims to encourage the following of proper health and safety protocols.
It places a responsibility on employers to report accidents. This helps the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) keep a record of work-related incidents. Such information is used to identify trends of where and how workplace risks occur to take action and reduce the chance of them happening.
Ignoring RIDDOR and failing to report relevant incidents to RIDDOR is breaking the law, which can result in fines and other penalties. This legal obligation aims to encourage employers to take their health and safety seriously, carry out risk assessments, and keep records, which can all help make workplaces safer.
What is a RIDDOR report?
A RIDDOR report is a record of a work-related accident or incident submitted to the HSE. There are five online forms you can fill in and use to make a RIDDOR report. These detail the nature and important information about the accident or incident. They’re submitted to the RIDDOR database, but you can also download and save a copy.
The five different types of RIDDOR reports are for:
- A reportable injury
- Dangerous occurrence
- Case of disease
- Flammable gas incident
- Dangerous gas fitting
What things must be reported to RIDDOR?
Only work-related accidents that result in a reportable injury need reporting to RIDDOR. Reportable injuries are:
- A death related to a work accident (excluding suicide) – this includes death after a reportable work-related injury within one year
- Specified reportable injuries, which include:
- Fractures to limbs
- Arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot, or toe amputation
- Injuries likely to cause permanent blindness or reduced sight in one or both eyes
- Crush injuries to the head or torso that damage the brain or internal organs in the chest or abdomen
- Serious burns (including scalding) that cover more than 10% of the body and significantly damage the eyes, respiratory system, or other vital organs
- Scalping that needs hospital treatment
- Loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
- Other injuries due to working in an enclosed space that result in hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or require resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
- Over seven-day incapacitation – if a worker is away from their job for more than seven consecutive days due to a work-related injury
- Non-fatal accidents to non-workers (like the general public or visitors)
- Occupational diseases made worse by work – such as carpal tunnel syndrome, cramp, occupational dermatitis, hand-arm vibration, occupational asthma, and tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm
- Occupational cancer where there’s a link between the type of cancer diagnosed and hazardous exposure to hazards in the workplace
- Dangerous occurrences that could harm others (not all require reporting) – find out more with the HSE
- Gas incidents – distributors, fillers, importers, and suppliers of flammable gas must submit RIDDOR reports for related workplace incidents when someone died, lost consciousness, or was taken to hospital for treatment
What is not reportable under RIDDOR?
Not all workplace accidents and incidents need reporting to RIDDOR. Some of the main exemptions from RIDDOR reporting are accidents:
- During medical or dental treatment or examinations
- Involving vehicles on public roads (unless they’re part of loading/unloading operations, road maintenance, or accidents involving trains)
- To armed forces members on duty
Who should submit a RIDDOR report?
Responsible persons should submit a RIDDOR report, which includes employers, people in control of work premises, and the self-employed. If you’re self-employed but experience a reportable accident working in someone else’s premises then the person in control of the premises should submit a RIDDOR report. If it happens at home or on your own premises while working self-employed then you must report it.
How long do you have to report to RIDDOR?
A RIDDOR report should be submitted within 10 days of the incident. Any accidents that lead to the incapacitation of a worker for longer than seven days should submit a RIDDOR report within 15 days of the accident. Any cases of occupational disease must be reported to RIDDOR as soon as possible after a diagnosis.
How to report to RIDDOR
The easiest way is to report to RIDDOR online. There are five different online forms you can use on the HSE website for each type of report. Simply fill in the relevant details and submit your RIDDOR report online. For more information visit the HSE website.
You can report just fatal accidents or accidents resulting in specified injuries to workers over the phone to RIDDOR. Call 0345 300 9923 to make a RIDDOR report over the phone.
How long should RIDDOR records be kept?
You must keep RIDDOR records for at least three years after they’ve been submitted. However, it’s advisable to keep them for at least six years or as long as possible in case there are any legal issues in the future. Maintaining a copy of your RIDDOR reports helps protect your organisation and show that proper procedures were followed.
Find more help and answers to important questions with our health and safety FAQs.