Is my Incident Reportable under RIDDOR?

Workplace injuries are incredibly common - to help make them LESS common we have to know exactly how they occur. For this, we have RIDDOR. It can often be very confusing for employers and employees alike to know how, and where, to report accidents. So, to help, this week’s FAQ of the week is all about RIDDOR.

What is RIDDOR?

RIDDOR, or the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, requires that those responsible in the workplace, including the self-employed, report any accidents that have caused injury or illness.

Reportable Injuries

Employers have a legal responsibility to submit a report to RIDDOR if certain “reportable” injuries or illnesses happen as a result of work activities.

• The HSE lists some reportable injuries, which include:
• Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
• Amputations
• Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss or reduction in sight
• Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
• Serious burns (including scalding) which:
  • Covers more than 10% of the body
  • Causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
• Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
• Injuries which result in an employee taking over 7 days off work
• Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
• Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which:
  • Leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness
  • Requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

Any death of an employee is reportable under RIDDOR, with the exception of suicide.

For more information on reportable injuries, check out the HSE website.

Unclear Injuries

The extent of some injuries may not be initially clear and so a full report won’t be possible. For example, an arm injury may need surgery to save it from amputation, but you won’t immediately know if the surgery has been successful. In this case, a pre-emptive report to RIDDOR isn’t necessary. Only report when you know what to report.

However, in the case of our example, it’s very likely the employee will be off work for 7 days or more, making it reportable for that reason.

RIDDOR Training

Here at iHASCO, we offer a First Aid Requirements and RIDDOR Training course to educate you on the subject of RIDDOR. It goes into detail about when, how and why to report an accident about RIDDOR.

Get started with a free no-obligation trial today!