Accidents at work

Employers have a responsibility to report certain accidents or incidents at places of work.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) places a legal duty to report certain accidents or incidents to the relevant Enforcing Authority. This duty falls to:

• Employers
• Self-employed people
• People in control of premises

What should be reported?

RIDDOR applies to all work activities but not all incidents are reportable. You must report:

• Deaths
• Major injuries
• Injuries where an employee or self-employed person is away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than seven consecutive days
• Injuries to members of the public or people not at work, where they have been taken from the scene of an accident to hospital
• Some work-related diseases
• Dangerous incidents - where something happens that does not result in an injury, but could have done

For more information about RIDDOR and reporting accidents, including what and what isn't reportable, visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

How to report an accident or incident

Report an accident/incident (HSE website)

To report a death at work you should call the HSE's incident contact centre on 0345 300 9923 (opening hours Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm).

Why is reporting accidents under RIDDOR important?

• Reporting certain accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement
• The information enables us to identify where and how risks arise
• It enables us to investigate serious accidents
• We can then help you and provide advice on how to reduce injury, and ill health in your workplace