Accidents in the Workplace

Why do I need to report accidents in the workplace?

Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables us to identify where and how risks arise, and enables us to investigate serious accidents.

We can then help you and provide advice on how to reduce injury and ill health in your workplace 

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), places a legal duty to report accidents or incidents on:

• Employers 
• Self-employed people 
• People in control of premises.

Find out more on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website here.

What incidents should be reported?

RIDDOR applies to all work activities, but not all incidents are reportable. You must report:

• Deaths 
• Major injuries 
• Over-seven-day injuries - where an employee or self-employed person is away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than seven consecutive days.
• Injuries to members of the public or people not at work, where they have been taken from the scene of an accident to hospital.
• Some work-related diseases.
• Dangerous incidents - this is where something happens that does not result in an injury, but could have done.

For more detailed information please see the HSE website here.

How do I report an accident or incident?

You can report an incident or find out more at the HSE website here.

All incidents can be reported online.

There is also a telephone service for reporting fatal and major incidents only. You can call the Incident Contact Centre on 0345 300 9923 (opening hours Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
 

Accident Book

It's good practice to have an accident book on site, which can be used to record work-related injuries. You can purchase a book via the Accident book page.