What Is RIDDOR? A Guide for UK Construction Sites

What Is RIDDOR? A Guide for UK Construction Sites

Accidents and near misses can happen on construction sites, but not every incident has to be formally reported to the authorities. RIDDOR, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, sets out which work-related deaths, injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences must be reported by the responsible person.

For construction businesses, understanding RIDDOR is important because the reporting rules can apply to incidents involving employees, self-employed workers and, in some circumstances, members of the public. There are also specific requirements covering dangerous occurrences and certain gas incidents.

This guide will explain who is responsible for making a report, when a report is required, what types of incidents fall under RIDDOR and how the reporting process works.

Why Is RIDDOR Important in Construction?

RIDDOR matters because serious incidents need to be recorded and reported rather than disappearing into day-to-day site activity. Construction involves higher-risk work such as working at height, lifting operations, plant movements and the use of heavy equipment, so information about accidents and dangerous occurrences can provide a clearer picture of where people are being harmed and where controls may be failing.

HSE uses RIDDOR information to identify trends and higher-risk areas, helping it target inspections, enforcement activity and guidance aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.

Who Is Responsible for Making a RIDDOR Report?

A RIDDOR report should be made by the person who has the legal responsibility to report the incident, referred to by HSE as the “responsible person”. This is normally the employer when the incident involves one of their workers, although responsibility can also sit with a self-employed person or whoever is in control of the premises where the incident happened.

On a construction site, this means the person who was injured would not usually submit the RIDDOR report themselves. If they are an employee, their employer is generally responsible for reporting qualifying work-related deaths, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences involving them. Where a self-employed person is injured while working on someone else’s premises, the person in control of those premises may be responsible for making the report.

Because several employers, contractors and self-employed workers can be working on the same construction project, it is important to establish who the responsible person is as soon as an incident occurs. The reporting duty should not be left unclear simply because several businesses are involved on site.

When Does a RIDDOR Report Need to Be Made?

The reporting deadline depends on the type of incident. For a work-related death, specified injury or dangerous occurrence, the enforcing authority must be notified without delay, with the report submitted within 10 days of the incident.

Where a worker is unable to carry out their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days because of a work-related injury, the report must be made within 15 days of the accident. The day of the accident itself is not included when counting those seven days.

Occupational diseases are handled differently. These should be reported once the responsible person has received a written diagnosis from a registered medical practitioner confirming that the worker has a reportable condition linked to their work.

Construction businesses should avoid waiting until the deadline if it is already clear that an incident is reportable. Making the report promptly gives the relevant enforcing authority the information it needs and reduces the risk of a report being missed altogether.

What Accidents and Incidents Are Reportable Under RIDDOR?

Not every accident or near miss on a construction site needs to be reported under RIDDOR. For an accident to be reportable, it generally needs to be work-related and result in one of the outcomes covered by the Regulations. RIDDOR also covers certain diagnosed occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences where nobody may have actually been injured.

Work-related Death & Injuries

A work-related death must be reported under RIDDOR, with the exception of suicide. If somebody initially suffers a reportable work-related injury and later dies as a result of that injury within one year, this must also be reported as a work-related fatality.

Certain serious injuries to workers are classed as specified injuries. These include fractures other than those to fingers, thumbs and toes, amputations, serious eye injuries, certain crush injuries, serious burns and some injuries caused by working in an enclosed space.

An injury can also become reportable where a worker is unable to carry out their normal work for more than seven consecutive days following a work-related accident. For people who are not at work, such as visitors or members of the public, a work-related injury is generally reportable if they are taken directly from the scene to hospital for treatment.

Occupational Diseases

RIDDOR also covers certain occupational diseases where a worker has received a diagnosis and their work involves the relevant exposure or activity. On a construction site, this is particularly important because some health problems develop gradually rather than following a single accident.

Reportable conditions can include hand-arm vibration syndrome, occupational dermatitis, occupational asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm, depending on the type of work and exposure involved. Occupational cancers and diseases linked to occupational exposure to biological agents can also fall within RIDDOR.

For example, regular use of vibrating power tools may be relevant to a diagnosis of hand-arm vibration syndrome, while exposure to substances such as wood dust or certain fumes may be relevant to occupational asthma. A diagnosis alone does not automatically make a condition reportable. The required link between the disease and the person’s work must also be present.

Dangerous Occurrences

A dangerous occurrence is a specified incident that has the potential to cause serious harm, even if nobody is actually injured. This means some construction incidents may need to be reported because of what could have happened, rather than because somebody was hurt.

Examples particularly relevant to construction include the collapse or overturning of lifting equipment, plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines, certain scaffold collapses and the collapse of falsework. Certain structural collapses during construction, maintenance or demolition work are also reportable.

Not every near miss is classed as a dangerous occurrence under RIDDOR. The incident must fall within one of the categories set out in the Regulations, so the circumstances should be checked against the HSE guidance before deciding whether a report is required.

How do I submit a RIDDOR report?

RIDDOR reports are normally submitted through the HSE’s online reporting service. The responsible person should select the form that matches the incident, such as an injury, occupational disease or dangerous occurrence, and provide the details requested about what happened, where it happened and the people involved.

Once the online form has been submitted, a copy can be kept for the business’s records. Employers must also keep records of reportable accidents, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, so the information is available if requested by an HSE, local authority or ORR inspector.

Most reports are made online, although HSE also provides a telephone service for fatal and specified injuries. For construction businesses, it is worth checking that the person responsible for reporting knows how to access the correct form before an incident happens, rather than trying to work it out after a serious event.

You can access the official RIDDOR reporting forms through the HSE’s reporting service. Submit a RIDDOR report

Need assistance with RIDDOR?

Knowing whether an incident is reportable under RIDDOR is not always straightforward, particularly where several contractors are involved or the circumstances do not clearly fit one category. Getting the reporting decision right matters, both from a legal point of view and for making sure serious incidents are properly recorded and followed up.

Hurst Setter can support construction businesses with RIDDOR queries, incident reporting and the wider health and safety arrangements that sit behind them. This can include reviewing what happened, helping determine whether a report is required and looking at any changes that may be needed to reduce the risk of a similar incident happening again.

If you need support following an accident, dangerous occurrence or occupational health issue, contact Hurst Setter to discuss the situation and the next steps.