Health and Safety Executive

What is RIDDOR?

Who should report an incident?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on:

  • employers;
  • self-employed people;
  • people in control of premises;

to report work-related deaths, major injuries or over-three-day injuries, work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences (near miss accidents). The easiest way to do this is by calling the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) on 0845 300 99 23 (local rate). You will be sent a copy of the information recorded and you will be able to correct any errors or omissions.

NB. Copies of submitted RIDDOR forms are sent to the employers / dutyholders regardless of who has submitted the report.

Why should I report?

Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities, to identify where and how risks arise, and to investigate serious accidents. We can then help you and provide advice on how to reduce injury, and ill health in your workplace.

For most businesses, a reportable accident, dangerous occurrence, or case of disease is a comparatively rare event. However, if it does happen, please let us know.

What is the Incident Contact Centre (ICC)?

The ICC is a ‘one-stop’ reporting service for work-related health and safety incidents in the UK. It was established on 1 April 2001 and is a primarily a call centre, open from Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm. If you wish to speak to an ICC operator, just call 0845 300 99 23. All information will remain confidential.

How does the ICC work?

The responsible person, usually the employer or person in control of the premises, must report all incidents and keep appropriate records. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to call the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 99 23 with no need to fill in a report form. The ICC Consultant will ask a few questions and take down appropriate details, this is reporting. Your report will be passed on to the relevant enforcing authority. You will be sent a copy of the information recorded which you can file - this meets the RIDDOR requirement to keep records of all reportable incidents. It’s as easy as that. When you receive a copy of the information recorded, you will be able to correct any errors or omissions.

You can also report by completing an interactive form which automatically sends you a copy for your records.

Reports are also accepted via email or post to the ICC.

How do I contact the ICC?

What must I report?

As an employer, a person who is self-employed, or someone in control of work premises, you have legal duties under RIDDOR that require you to report and record some work-related accidents by the quickest means possible.

You must report:

  • deaths;
  • major injuries;
  • over-3-day injuries – where an employee or self-employed person is away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 3 consecutive days;
  • injuries to members of the public or people not at work where they are taken from the scene of an accident to hospital;
  • some work-related diseases;
  • dangerous occurrences – where something happens that does not result in an injury, but could have done;
  • Gas Safe registered gas fitters must also report dangerous gas fittings they find, and gas conveyors/suppliers must report some flammable gas incidents.

RIDDOR applies to all work activities but not all incidents are reportable. If someone has had an accident in a work situation where you are in charge, and you are unsure whether to report it just call the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) on 0845 300 99 23. .

You can also find details of reportable incidents by looking at RIDDOR in more detail.

Information supplied to HSE in a RIDDOR report is not passed on to your insurance company. If you think your insurer needs to know about a work related accident, injury, or case of ill health please remember to contact them separately - insurers have told us that reporting injuries and illnesses at work to them quickly could save you time and money.

When do I need to make a report?

Although the Regulations specify varying timescales for reporting different types of incidents, it is advisable to ring and report the incident as soon as possible by calling the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 99 23.

In cases of death, major injury, or dangerous occurrences, you must notify the enforcing authority without delay, most easily by calling the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 99 23.

Cases of over-three day injuries must be notified within ten days of the incident occurring.

Cases of disease should be reported as soon as a doctor notifies you that your employee suffers from a reportable work-related disease.

What records do I need to keep?

You must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. This must include the date and method of reporting; the date, time and place of the event; personal details of those involved; and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease.

You can keep the record in any form you wish. You could, for example, choose to

keep your records by:

  • keeping copies of report forms in a file;
  • recording the details on a computer;
  • using your Accident Book entry;
  • maintaining a written log.

If you choose to report the incident by telephone or through this web site, the ICC will send you a copy of the record held within the database. You will be able to request amendments to the record if you feel the report is not fully accurate.

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Updated 11.01.10