Accident Reporting under RIDDOR — What Must Be Reported and When
TL;DR
RIDDOR 2013 requires employers, self-employed people and those in control of premises to report certain work-related injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences to the HSE. In construction, prompt and accurate RIDDOR reporting is a legal duty — and good incident records are your best defence if liability is later questioned.
What is RIDDOR?
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) set out the legal requirements for reporting workplace incidents in the UK. All employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises must comply.
RIDDOR replaced the 1995 regulations and simplified the reporting categories while maintaining comprehensive coverage of serious incidents.
What Must Be Reported under RIDDOR?
Deaths
All work-related deaths must be reported to the HSE without delay. This includes deaths of workers and members of the public resulting from a work-related accident.
Specified (Serious) Injuries to Workers
Specified injuries include:
- Fractures (other than fingers, thumbs or toes)
- Amputations
- Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
- Any crush injury to the head or torso
- Burns covering more than 10% of the body, or burns to the eyes, respiratory tract or digestive system
- Any degree of scalping requiring hospital treatment
- Loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
- Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space that leads to hypothermia, heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
Over-7-Day Incapacitation
If a worker cannot perform their normal duties for more than 7 consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident), this must be reported within 15 days of the accident.
Injuries to Members of the Public
If a member of the public is injured and taken from the scene directly to a hospital for treatment (not just as a precaution), this must be reported.
Occupational Diseases
A range of work-related diseases must be reported when a doctor confirms them and the affected person's work involves an activity associated with the disease. Relevant conditions in construction include:
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)
- Occupational asthma
- Tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm
- Occupational deafness
- Occupational dermatitis
Dangerous Occurrences (Near-Misses)
Even without injury, certain dangerous occurrences must be reported. In construction, these include:
- Collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing equipment (scaffold, falsework, excavation, crane)
- Explosion or fire causing work to stop for more than 24 hours
- Unintended collapse or partial collapse of a building or structure
- Any unintentional release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness
- Radiation accidents meeting specified criteria
RIDDOR Reporting Timescales
| Incident Type | Timescale |
|---|---|
| Death or specified injury | Without delay (immediately) |
| Over-7-day incapacitation | Within 15 days of the accident |
| Dangerous occurrence | Without delay |
| Member of public injured and taken to hospital | Without delay |
| Occupational disease | Without delay |
How to Report to the HSE
All RIDDOR reports are made online via the HSE website (hse.gov.uk/riddor). For immediate reporting of deaths or major injuries, you can also call the RIDDOR Duty Officer.
The HSE issues a reference number for each report — keep this with your incident records.
What Information Is Required
- Date, time and place of the incident
- Personal details of the injured person
- Description of what happened
- Nature of the injury or condition
- Details of any witnesses
- Any immediate actions taken
Internal Incident Records
All incidents — whether RIDDOR reportable or not — should be recorded internally. An internal incident report should include:
- Photographs from the scene (taken promptly)
- Witness statements
- Description of the immediate and root causes
- Actions taken and corrective measures
- Signed confirmation from the site supervisor
How Workforce Guardian Supports RIDDOR Compliance
- Mobile incident reporting — workers report incidents in real time from their phones with photo capture
- RIDDOR workflow — the platform identifies potentially reportable incidents and prompts timely HSE notification
- Incident log — every incident recorded with timestamps, photographs and investigation notes
- Evidence pack — compile all incident records, photographs and RIDDOR references into a shareable document
FAQs
Do near-misses need to be reported to the HSE?
Only specific dangerous occurrences (as listed in RIDDOR Schedule 2) must be reported to the HSE. However, all near-misses should be recorded internally and investigated. Near-miss reporting is one of the most effective ways to prevent future injuries.
Does RIDDOR apply to self-employed workers?
Yes. Self-employed people must report their own RIDDOR-reportable injuries and occupational diseases. However, if the self-employed person is working under someone else's control, it is the person in control of the workplace who must report.
What if I am unsure whether an injury is RIDDOR reportable?
When in doubt, report. The HSE would rather receive an unnecessary report than miss a reportable incident. You can also call the HSE Infoline for guidance.
How long should we keep RIDDOR records?
All RIDDOR records must be kept for at least three years. However, if an incident leads to a personal injury claim, records may be needed for much longer — up to 21 years for incidents involving minors.
What are the penalties for failing to report under RIDDOR?
Failure to report a RIDDOR incident is a criminal offence. Penalties include fines and, in serious cases, prosecution. The HSE can also use an unreported RIDDOR incident as evidence of poor safety management in wider enforcement action.