Here are some examples of some incidents that must be reported and others that don’t need to be reported:
A driver was seriously injured in a collision with another vehicle on a motorway.
No. The driver’s injuries resulted from the movement of a vehicle on a road and hence there is no need to report the accident. However, the accident should be reported to the police.
Two of our staff received major injuries when one who was driving our delivery truck collided with a forklift truck that the other was driving. The accident happened on the private road around our site.
Probably yes. The exemption for reporting road traffic accidents only applies when the vehicle was on a ‘road’ as defined in the Road Traffic Act 1988. Unless the public normally have use of the site’s road, it won’t be included in the RTA’s definition of a ‘road’.
Two shoppers were injured and taken to hospital for treatment when their cars collided on a supermarket car park.
Yes, but only if the accident was connected to the supermarket’s work. A car park is not regarded as a ‘road’ as defined in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and so RIDDOR applies. Examples of where the supermarket’s work is connected to accident would be the design of the car park or if the supermarket had erected an advertising board that obscured their view and so contributed to the collision.
Our delivery driver was hit and injured by a car when unloading his van on the road.
Yes. Deaths and injuries covered by regulation 3 must still be reported even if the accident was caused by a vehicle moving on a road when this involves the loading or unloading of the vehicle.
A road worker was injured when a car crashed through the coned-off area where they were working.
Yes. Injuries caused by moving vehicles are reportable if the injured person was doing maintenance or construction work on the road, its verges or an adjacent building or structure.
A security guard received a major injury when a thief hit them when making a getaway in a car.
If the car was being driven on a road, then it is not reportable. If this was in a private area then it would be reportable as an act of non-consensual violence to a person who was at work.
Our receptionist was injured when they were hit at work. The assailant was their partner and the argument was about their personal life, not work.
No. Although acts of non-consensual physical violence to a person at work are included in the definition of an accident, the accident must arise out of or be connected to the work. This did not, it was a personal matter.
A customer in a shop was hit by another customer and taken to hospital for treatment.
No. Acts of non-consensual violence resulting in reportable injuries are only reportable if the injured person was at work.
One of our staff was verbally abused. Although they were not physically hurt, they were shaken up. They took two weeks off sick because of this incident.
No. Only deaths and physical injuries that would normally have to be reported resulting from acts of violence to people at work.
I report injuries to school pupils and college students. What category should I use on the F2508 form under "Injured Person's Employment Status"?
Students and pupils are not at work and therefore are regarded as members of the public (MOPs) for this part of the form. The exception is where a student / pupil, including children, are on a recognised training scheme or work experience. Under health and safety law they are regarded as employees. In these circumstances the employer or person in control of the work premises where the pupil or student was doing the training should report the injury as if they were one of their employees.
Are accidents to pupils sustained in PE lessons reportable under RIDDOR?
Yes, but only if the pupil is killed or taken to hospital for treatment of the injury and the accident arose out of or was connected to the school’s or college’s work. For example, the accident arose because of poor organisation or supervision arrangements, the equipment or the condition of the premises, e.g. a potholed tarmac surface.
Are sporting injuries reportable?
No, if the injury arose out of the normal participation of the activity. Injuries should be reported if they were due to defective equipment or failings in the organisation and management of an event.
What if the pupil is taken to hospital as a precaution but the examination shows no injury?
No. RIDDOR only requires injuries to be reported, if the medical advice is that the pupil was not injured in any way then there is no need to report this.
Do I need to know what treatment was given by the hospital before I report an injury to a pupil?
There is no requirement to check that treatment is actually administered by the hospital. If the school is later told that the hospital could find no injury, not even a minor cut or abrasion, then you do not have to make a report as the law only requires you report injuries in these circumstances.
The key thing to remember when determining whether to report an incident to a pupil or other people who are not at work is if the accident that resulted in the death or injury that must be reported, arose out of or was connected with the work activity.
Some of our pupils have been hurt in a road traffic accident on the way to school in the school bus. Should I report their injuries?
No. Deaths and injuries that result from the movement of a vehicle on a road do not have to be reported (see above section on road traffic accidents).
A pupil has been injured while on a school trip abroad. Should I report this to HSE?
No. HSE does not have jurisdiction when the pupil is outside the country so RIDDOR does not apply.. A report may have to be made to another appropriate authority though. (For example the school may need to report the incident to other bodies such as the local safeguarding committee).
I found a dangerous gas fitting but it was repaired at the time. Does this still need to be reported?
Yes. Even though the defects have been repaired, the dangerous gas fitting should still be reported
What dangerous gas fittings are reportable under RIDDOR 6(2)?
Any fittings which are “immediately dangerous” under the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure (GIUSP), due to gas safety issues, should be reported unless they are solely caused by a failure to have the appliance/system maintained.
What dangerous gas fittings are not reportable under RIDDOR 6(2)?
Installations which are immediately dangerous solely due to a lack of maintenance are not reportable under RIDDOR. Additionally “immediately dangerous” non-gas safety defects are generally not reportable (examples include damaged or inappropriate electrical connections and hot water cylinders without pressure relief).
I have found a dangerous gas fitting in a rented house which was a result of a lack of maintenance. How should these be reported?
These fittings would not be reportable under RIDDOR. However landlords have duties to maintain gas appliances, flues and pipe work in a safe condition. Should gas appliances be found in rented accommodation which is related to a lack of maintenance, details should be sent to HSE as a complaint. HSE will then decide whether or not to investigate these matters further.
Who should report injuries or deaths under Regulation 6(1)?
Conveyors of gas through fixed pipe systems have the legal duty to report major injuries and deaths resulting from flammable gas incidents. These duties are often undertaken by the gas Emergency Service Providers (ESPs) representing gas conveyors. Reports under Regulation 6(1) should only be made by Gas Transporters (including Natural Gas and LPG) or the agents working on their behalf (e.g. the gas ESPs).
A member of the public tripped over a trailing cable and hurt themselves badly. We didn’t call an ambulance as their friend drove them to a hospital.
Yes. You must report cases where a person not at work is injured due to an accident that arises out of or is connected to your work and is taken from your premises to a hospital, by whatever means, for treatment.
A person fainted and as a precaution they were taken to hospital.
No. The injury must result from an accident that arises out of or is connected to the work. This is not usually the case where people have been taken ill.
A shopper had a serious injury but said they were okay and wouldn’t go to hospital.
No. The duty is for a report to be made when a person not at work is injured because of a work accident and is taken, by whatever means, to a hospital for treatment.
A member of the public fell over in our premises, as a precaution they went to hospital but when examined the hospital said they had no injuries.
No. RIDDOR only requires you to report when people have been injured because of a workplace accident. If the hospital cannot find any injury there is no need to make a report.
A person slipped over in the shop but said they were unhurt. Much later they told us they had gone the next day to their GP who then referred them to hospital.
No. The injured person must be taken from where the accident happened, by whatever means, to a hospital for treatment. It must be a hospital a GP or a drop-in clinic is not included under RIDDOR. They were not taken to the hospital from the site and so there is no duty to report.
No. Suicides and cases of self-harm (except on a relevant transport system such as a railway) are not reportable as there is no accident from which the death or injury results.
Are cases of occupational stress reportable as lost-time injuries?
No. To be reportable, the injury must have resulted from an ‘accident’. Stress-related conditions usually result from a prolonged period of pressure, often from many factors, not just one distinct event.
What about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a one-off incident?
No. PTSD is a recognised medical condition and is regarded as a disease. It is not one of the listed occupational diseases, so cases do not need to be reported.
For a disease to be reportable:
it must be listed in column 1 of Schedule 3 of RIDDOR and the sufferer must be doing the type of work listed for that disease in column 2 of Schedule 3 of RIDDOR.
A retired employee has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. The work used to involve working with asbestos but hasn’t for many years.
No, this case is not reportable as the sufferer is no longer involved in that type of work listed against the disease.
Schedule 2 of RIDDOR lists the specific near-miss incidents that must be reported.
Lifting machinery - A sling fails during a lift do I need to report this?
No. The requirement is to report when a load bearing part of a lifting machine or a piece of lifting equipment fails. You don’t have to report failures of lifting tackle or lifting accessories.
What is an electrical short-circuit or overload?
A short circuit occurs when there is unintended or accidental contact between conductors in a system caused, for example, by a failure of the insulation in the equipment, or a metal tool such as a pick axe being driven into a live cable, or a metal object being dropped onto live parts in electrical equipment.
An overload occurs when more electrical current flows in a system than the system was designed to carry, leading to overheating and the possibility of fire.
When should I report an electrical short-circuit or overload?
You should report an electrical short circuit or overload that causes a fire or explosion and
Note : Direct contact by a person (including via a conducting object) with the energised exposed conductors of an electrical cable or circuit operating above 50 V alternating current (Vac) or 125 V direct current (Vdc) could cause death by electrocution.
Cable strikes - An underground 230V electricity cable connected to some street lighting was struck, causing a bang and a flash-over. Is it reportable?
Most cable strikes don’t cause death. It depends upon the circumstances and a degree of judgement on reportability is required. The incident would be reportable if:
A telecoms cable was struck, causing a flash. Is it reportable?
No, Telecoms cables and Cable TV cables are normally below 50 Vac or 125 Vdc and the amount of energy in the flash is unlikely to cause death.
A temporary supply cable on a building site has been struck; I have been told it’s supplied from a 110 Vac centre-tapped-to-earth transformer. Is it reportable?
No, electrical cables connected to this type of equipment are designed so that the risk of death is negligible.
We have been told that our cooling tower has the legionnella bacteria and this will have been released into the surrounding area.
No. The escape or release of a biological agent must only be reported if it causes severe human infection or illness. In practice, this means a biological agent in hazard groups 3 or 4 in Part V, Schedule 3 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). Legionnella is in group 2, so it is not reportable.
A scaffold has collapsed do I need to report this?
Only if the is more than 5 metres in height from its base and not necessarily the ground.
A self-employed subcontractor sustains an over 7 day injury on a construction site, who should report it?
The person deemed to be in control of the construction site where the accident occurred, in many cases this will be the principal contractor. Where this cannot easily be established the employer should report. In the case of someone who is genuinely self-employed, they may be required to report their own accident.
During the construction of a concrete wall, the timber structure built to contain the wet concrete and reinforcement during the concrete pour collapses. There are no injuries. Is this reportable?
Yes, all failures of false work are reportable under RIDDOR.
RIDDOR talks about "Construction work", what does this mean?
"Construction work" means the same as it does in the Construction Design and Management Regulation.
A child, under the supervision of their parent, falls from play equipment in a Local Authority maintained children’s play area, breaking their arm.
No. If the equipment was in good working order and free of defects. An accident would generally be reportable if it was caused by: faulty or poorly maintained equipment; a failure of staff to supervise play activities properly (when it was being carried out under their charge), or a failure of health and safety management systems.
A visitor to a national park trips and falls on naturally occurring rocks whilst hill climbing, breaking their arm.
No, the hill is part of the wild natural environment. Visitors embarking on hill climbs should be prepared with suitable clothing and equipment and undertake walks suited to their level of fitness.
A visitor to a formal garden of a stately home trips and falls on gardening debris left on a path, spraining their ankle.
Yes, this is a busy, intensively managed attraction. The paths provided in the garden should be maintained in good order and clear of obstructions.
Are sporting injuries reportable?
No, if the injury arose out of the normal participation of the activity. Injuries should be reported if they were due to defective equipment or failings in the organisation and management of an event.
A member of the public banged their head on the ride when it stopped unexpectedly. They looked OK but went off to hospital for a check up anyway.
Yes. You must report cases where a person not at work is injured due to an accident that arises out of or is connected to your work and is taken from your premises to a hospital for treatment. However, if they tell you later that the hospital could find no injury, not even a minor cut or abrasion, then you do not have to make a report.
A customer is accidentally scalded while being served hot soup by staff and is taken to hospital for treatment.
Yes. The accident arose from a work activity - serving soup.
A customer knocks their soup bowl off the table while reaching for a wine glass - they sustain minor burns.
No. The accident did not arise out of or in connection with work.
An employee steps out of his private car in the office car park. In doing so, he somehow twists his ankle. As a result he has more than 7 days off work. The employee had not yet started work for the day. There were no defects to the car park surface, debris or spillages etc. present that may have contributed to the incident and the light was good.
No. Provided that there was nothing about the condition and design of the car park surface, condition, slope, weather conditions, lighting etc which contributed to the accident. This is not reportable because, on the face of it, the accident that resulted in the injury did not arise out of, nor was it connected to the work activity. Note - If the employee was “not at work” then their employer might still have to report the injury if the employee, who was not at work, was taken from the place of the accident to a hospital for treatment. The “accident” must still have arisen out of, or be connected with the work activity though – so if the injured person put their foot in a pot hole and twisted their ankle, then it might be reportable, if they had just stepped awkwardly out of the car, then not.
A barman is attacked by a member of the public when the barman requested the customer to leave as the bar was closing.
Yes. Injuries to people at work which ‘arise out of or in connection with work’ caused by a non-consensual act of physical violence are reportable.
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