Key definitions

Regulations 4 - 6 cover the reporting of work-related deaths and injuries other than for certain gas incidents RIDDOR requires deaths and injuries to be reported only when:

What is an 'accident'?

In relation to RIDDOR, an accident is a separate, identifiable, unintended incident, which causes physical injury. This specifically includes acts of non-consensual violence to people at work.

Injuries themselves, eg 'feeling a sharp twinge', are not accidents. There must be an identifiable external event that causes the injury, eg a falling object striking someone. Cumulative exposures to hazards, which eventually cause injury (eg repetitive lifting), are not classed as 'accidents' under RIDDOR.

RIDDOR only requires you to report accidents if they happen 'out of or in connection with work'. The fact that there is an accident at work premises does not, in itself, mean that the accident is work-related – the work activity itself must contribute to the accident. An accident is 'work-related' if any of the following played a significant role:

What are 'reportable' injuries?

The following injuries are reportable under RIDDOR when they result from a work-related accident:

Updated 2021-04-26