RIDDOR Explained: A Complete Guide to Workplace Incident Reporting

What is RIDDOR?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) is a legal framework in the United Kingdom that requires employers, self-employed individuals, and those responsible for work premises to report designated work-related incidents. Under the regulation, occupational diseases, fatal and non-fatal injuries, and dangerous occurrences must be investigated, documented, and reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), fostering greater workplace accountability and safety standards.

Why is RIDDOR Important?

RIDDOR reporting was driven by the need for a systematic and standardized approach to reporting and managing workplace incidents. Its earlier version, the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (NADOR) of 1980, was fragmented and less effective in capturing near misses and illnesses.

With a focus on data collection and monitoring, the legislation ensures better identification, assessment, and investigation of risks. This data-driven approach helps develop better safety guidance to improve outcomes. It also places a legal duty on all relevant personnel to call attention to incidents and their causes, facilitating timely intervention and preventive measures. Finally, it mandates prompt reporting, making non-compliance a crime.

Significant updates to RIDDOR were subsequently made in 2013, improving Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) systems across industries. This revised framework remains the prevailing statutory legislation.

Key Aspects

Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) professionals, compliance officers, and operational leaders should be well-versed in this UK OHS legislation to meet their legal duties effectively. Here are some of the most salient aspects of RIDDOR:

Who is responsible for reporting?

Designating this task encourages proactive risk management, ensuring that incidents are taken seriously and addressed immediately. The accountable individuals are the following:

• Employers as the most significant duty holders

• Self-employed individuals (e.g., plumbers working in a private home or their own premises)

• People in control of work premises are individuals or organizations responsible for ensuring the safety of anyone (i.e., members of the public) within the work site. These include building owners, managers, and landlords.

What should be reported?

Defining this ensures consistent data collection across workplaces and industries. It’s essential to accurately identify trends, injuries, diseases, and dangerous occurrences to help develop policies, campaigns, and preventive measures. Here’s a list of RIDDOR reportable incidents:

• Fatalities

• Specified injuries, such as loss of consciousness, fractures, amputations, serious burns, etc.

• Over-7-day incapacitation of a worker

• Reportable occupational diseases, including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), severe hand cramps, occupational cancer, exposure to biological agents, etc.

• Injuries to non-workers (i.e., members of the public)

• Dangerous occurrences or near-miss events, such as the collapse of scaffolding, electrical incidents causing fires, malfunction of equipment, etc.

• Gas incidents

When should these be reported?

All RIDDOR reportable accidents causing injuries or illnesses should be reported within 10 days. Fatalities and dangerous occurrences must be reported immediately. The HSE has made this task easier for responsible individuals by creating an online portal where digital forms can be filled out and uploaded.

How should reports be documented and archived?

Recordkeeping is a crucial aspect of RIDDOR compliance. This provides auditable evidence that an organization is meeting its duties based on HSE guidelines and is committed to improving the Safety Management System (SMS).

While there’s no prescriptive format, these should be included in the internal documentation:

• RIDDOR reference number

• Date and time of the incident

• Date and time of report to HSE

• The nature of the incident

• Details of the affected person or parties

• Details of the responsible person

• Investigation findings, including witness statements and evidence

• Incident response and follow-up actions

There’s no specified duration for keeping internal records. However, the best practice based on the Limitation Act 1980 for civil claims suggests a minimum of three years for most OHS records. Records of diseases and protracted conditions caused by major incidents must be kept longer (10 to 40 years).

What are the consequences of non-compliance?

Reporting is a crucial part of the UK’s HSE legislative framework that protects employees and upholds workplace safety. Failure to complete the RIDDOR reporting requirements is a criminal offense that can lead to prosecution, fines, or imprisonment.

Overcoming Compliance Challenges with Best Practices

The prompt reporting of injuries, diseases, and dangerous occurrences regulations is a task many duty holders still find challenging despite the resources provided by the HSE. Addressing challenges head-on with the following best practices may help:

• Uncertainty over what to report – Many employers struggle with uncertainty over which incidents are reportable to RIDDOR due to complex definitions. The most effective approach is to meticulously document and investigate even minor near-misses or dangerous occurrences, rather than becoming entangled in technicalities.

• Under-reporting – Many responsible persons, especially self-employed ones, fail to report non-fatal injuries because they assume the process is too complicated and time-consuming. With ready-to-fill-out digital templates and an easy-to-access portal, this task isn’t as elaborate as many believe.

• Administrative burden – Dealing with the paperwork can be seen as a bureaucratic process that takes time away from operational duties. Assigning responsibility and accountability should be the first step to ensure compliance. Remember, this is a mandate, not a mere suggestion.

• Resource constraints – Companies managing multi-site teams but lacking dedicated EHS personnel on-site will have difficulties handling RIDDOR. Aside from delegating this job to a duty holder, providing them with low-cost digital tools for documentation, recordkeeping, and even training is the best way to ensure that the job gets done.