Riddor Legal Requirements

RIDDOR stands for Reporting of Injury, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. Under RIDDOR, the law is required to report serious occupational accidents, occupational diseases and dangerous incidents. The rules describe the events that must be reported, the exceptions and criteria that apply, who is responsible for reporting, and what time limits apply. Employees are not legally required to report incidents under RIDDOR. However, if employees observe or experience something that falls under the scope of RIDDOR, they must report it to an appropriate supervisor. Reporting accidents and illnesses at work has long been a legal requirement in the UK. The information allows the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local government agencies “to identify where and how hazards arise and investigate major accidents.” [3] Registration requirements remain largely unchanged, including the requirement to record accidents resulting in a worker`s inability to work for more than three days. Since its introduction, RIDDOR has been a central element of health and safety legislation and represents a new stage in the development of occupational safety legislation. It provides details on the steps to follow to record and track reportable incidents. In addition to helping employers meet their legal obligations, following RIDDOR processes also shows that a company is fulfilling its overall duty of care to its employees. It is clear that RIDDOR is helping to create higher health and safety standards in workplaces in the UK. To place the regulations in the context of health and safety history, they enshrine accurate record-keeping of events resulting in injury or death as a legal principle.

Adverse events occur in the workplace and it is important that if these events meet RIDDOR`s requirements, you are prepared and know what to do. Keep a copy of the guide next to your accident record. This way, you can check at any time if this needs to be reported. As an employer, you are a “responsible person” within the meaning of RIDDOR. This means that you are required by law to report all incidents to the HSE. They are also responsible for ensuring that the cause of the incident is eliminated and that risks are minimized as much as possible. Employers are generally advised to record all accidents at work and near misses, regardless of the impact on work capacity. Many employers use accident logs to record injuries, which is sufficient to meet injury reporting requirements, but another way to report illnesses needs to be found. Employers can also print a copy of the report form and keep it for their records. There are no significant changes to the reporting requirements for: “Responsible persons” are required by law to properly report work-related incidents in accordance with RIDDOR.

These include employers, those who control workspaces and the self-employed. If you are not sure whether this applies to you or not, you can visit the HSE website. The RIDDOR regulations make it mandatory to report certain accidents, diseases and dangerous incidents. As an employer, you need to understand your legal responsibility to follow RIDDOR correctly. In 2011, Tesco was fined £34,000 for failures at RIDDOR after admitting it failed to follow essential procedures for reporting employee injuries in two of its stores. Please note that failure to comply with legal health and safety requirements is a criminal offence and therefore you must understand and follow the requirements. Ignorance is not a defence in health and safety law. Understanding what can go wrong is an essential first step in preventing accidents and hazardous events. The regulations also give employers the responsibility to take appropriate action, appoint competent people to implement them, and provide the necessary training.

Like risk assessments, health and safety training is a legal necessity and an essential part of a comprehensive approach to ensuring worker safety. Our comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about working alone. From identifying lone workers in your business to the risks they face in different environments, our lone worker guide lets you know how to protect your employees and do your due diligence. Yes, Audit Policy General employees are not required by law to report incidents under RIDDOR. However, if you, as an employee, observe or experience something that falls under the purview of RIDDOR, you must report it to an appropriate supervisor. Members of the public (including general staff) cannot self-report an incident to the HSE. If you have any concerns, you should raise them with your employer or, if this is not possible, with your union or employee representative. If you need to follow up on the issue, you can report it to the HSE using another online form or contact another number found here. As an employer, it is required by law to report all incidents, regardless of size, as well as illnesses in the workplace. In order to comply with the law, all incidents must be recorded. RIDDOR record-keeping includes: There are also specific reporting requirements for mines (Sch.2/Pt.2, para.

22-40), quarries (Sch.2/Pt.3, paras. 41-48), rail transport systems (Sch.2/Pt.4, paras. 49-72) and offshore installations (Sch.2/Pt.5, paras. 73-83). Make sure your organization has arrangements to report adverse events in the workplace. At a minimum, it could be an accident logbook, which should be available at every location where employees work. Be aware of the GDPR`s privacy requirements. As an employer, you need to understand your legal responsibility to follow RIDDOR correctly. This ensures that you protect the health and safety of your employees and that your business complies with the law. Collecting these details for your company`s file is also important. In this way, you draw attention to the risks that can then be safely managed and prevent further cases of illness.

RIDDOR applies to all workplaces in the UK, so it is mandatory to understand the rules of what you need to report and when. RIDDOR requires employers by law to keep records of: Industries with specific requirements include offshore workplaces, mines, quarries and relevant transportation systems. RIDDOR goes hand in hand with other core activities such as risk assessment, including risk assessment for lone workers. The value of risk assessments cannot be overstated and their implementation is a legal requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Management Regulations, 1999. The main changes are aimed at simplifying reporting obligations in the following areas: In this bulletin, I will address the important issue of adverse event reporting in the workplace, particularly with respect to RIDDOR. Certain types of occupational accidents and diseases must be reported under RIDDOR, some within a very short period of time. At the end of this newsletter, you can download a copy of our free RIDDOR Quick Start Guide. There is a long list of dangerous incidents to report in RIDDOR regulations, including (but not limited to): Every employer must understand that RIDDOR is a non-negotiable part of health and safety law and that failure to report an incident is a criminal offence. In cases where the rules are not followed, this can have serious consequences. Any other injury resulting from working in a confined space that results in hypothermia, heat-related illness, or requires resuscitation or admission to hospital for more than 24 hours. A confined space is any fully or partially enclosed space that poses a significantly increased risk to health and safety. The Regulations were intended to consolidate a number of previous provisions on the reporting of accidents and illnesses in general at work and in particular in the rail and offshore industries.

[13]. RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Illnesses and Dangerous Events Regulations, 1995. By law, it is mandatory for employers, as well as self-employed workers and people who have control of a building, to report certain incidents in the workplace. These can include a variety of things, from dangerous events (when a serious accident has fortunately been prevented) to work-related deaths. Leakage of combustible substances – Sudden and uncontrolled release in a building of: In the 2020/21 working year, approximately 441,000 occupational accidents occurred and 1.7 million workers suffered from a new or persistent occupational disease. RIDDOR is here to protect you and your colleagues at work. Legislation is important because it blames employers for negligence or bad behaviour at work. In practice, this encourages people to follow health and safety procedures in the workplace, which helps prevent accidents.

If you wish to report less serious incidents outside of normal working hours, you can always fill out an online form. Biological agents – An accident or incident that resulted or could have resulted in the release or leakage of a biological agent that could cause serious infection or disease in humans.