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Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995

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Official description of the Act

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 came into force on 1 April 1996 and require the reporting of specified accidents, ill health and dangerous occurrences to the enforcing authorities. The events all arise out of or in connection with work activities covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. They include death, major injury and over-three-day lost-time accidents. Schedules to the Regulations specify the details of cases of ill health and dangerous occurrences.

 

For most businesses, reportable events will be quite rare and so there is little for them to do under these Regulations apart from keeping the guidance and forms available and being aware of the general requirements.

 

You need to report:

 

• deaths;
• major injuries;
• accidents resulting in over three days' lost time;
• injuries sustained by a visitor or third party who is taken from your premises to hospital;
• diseases;
• dangerous occurrences; and 
• gas incidents.

 

If there is an accident connected with work and:

 

• your employee, or a self-employed person working on your premises is killed or suffers a major injury (including as a result of physical violence); or
• a member of the public is killed or taken to hospital;

 

you must notify the Enforcing Authority without delay. You should telephone the Incident Contact Centre and complete the appropriate form on the website.

 

Reportable major injuries are defined as:

 

• fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes;
• amputation;
• dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine;
• loss of sight (temporary or permanent);
• chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye;
• injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
• any other injury leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or unconsciousness; or requiring resuscitation; or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
• unconsciousness caused by asphyxia or exposure to harmful substance or biological agent;
• acute illness requiring medical treatment, or loss of consciousness arising from absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin; and 
• acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted from exposure to a biological agent or its toxins or infected material.

 

An over-three-day injury is one that is not 'major' but results in the injured person being away from work or unable to do the full range of their normal duties for more than three days.

 

Reportable diseases include:

 

• certain poisonings;
• some skin diseases such as occupational dermatitis, skin cancer, chrome ulcer, oil folliculitis / acne;
• lung diseases including occupational asthma, farmer's lung, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis and mesothelioma;
• infections such as leptospirosis; hepatitis; tuberculosis; anthrax; legionnellosis and tetanus;
• other conditions such as occupational cancer; certain musculoskeletal disorders; decompression illness and Hand–Arm vibration syndrome;
• Bursitis of the knee or elbow (Beat knee or Beat elbow);
• traumatic inflammation of the tendons of the hand or forearm or of the associated tendon sheaths, e.g. Tenosynovitis or Tennis elbow;
• carpal tunnel syndrome; and 
• Hand–Arm vibration syndrome.

Official link to the Act