Why is RIDDOR important in the workplace?

Donna Foulis Date published: Jan 13, 22

RIDDOR is a UK legislation which has been in place since 1995. It stands for ‘Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations’ with the most recent revision having come into place in 2013. So why is RIDDOR important alongside other key workplace health and safety regulations?

While the Health and Safety at Work Act ensures that workers have a safe environment to carry out their duties, RIDDOR makes sure that employers keep and submit accurate records of any work related injuries or incidents. Read on to find out more about what it is, why it’s important, how covid falls under it and what to do to ensure you’re compliant with it.

What is RIDDOR?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 is a law which requires individuals in positions of responsibility to keep a record of and report injuries, accidents and illnesses which occurred in the workplace or as a result of work. Everyone has a responsibility towards recording these types of incidents and to take appropriate actions and precautions when conducting tasks at work, including employees and self-employed individuals.

Not every type of incident needs to be reported under RIDDOR. The HSE outline that the following categories need to be reported:

• A work-related accident which resulted in death
• A work-related accident which resulted in serious injury
• A diagnosis of certain occupational diseases
• A dangerous occurrence, which can be defined as an incident with the potential to cause harm

Why is RIDDOR important?

RIDDOR is important because it provides protection for employees at work and holds employers accountable and responsible for ensuring appropriate health and safety considerations and procedures are put in place. It means that, should an employee succumb to an injury in the workplace, employers have a duty to record and report it. The legislation also helps to ensure that health and safety related risks are managed properly.

Does covid come under RIDDOR?

In certain circumstances covid-related incidents should be reported under RIDDOR. This is only required if an employee contracts covid as a direct result of the workplace, or if a death occurs as a result of this. In addition, if an accident occurs which causes covid-19 to spread this should also be reported as a dangerous occurrence.

How to comply with RIDDOR

Keeping an accident book or having a sufficient system to store and maintain these records is a legal requirement for RIDDOR. Once an accident or incident has been recorded, it must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which can be done on their website.

Employers should have appropriate procedures in place and ensure that employees are familiar with them should an accident occur. There should also be clear instructions and policies to minimise risks and manage risk assessments. A key component underpinning these factors is delivering effective health and safety training to all employees to ensure that they are knowledgeable about what’s expected of them, how they can take responsibility for their own health and safety and what to do if they witness or fall victim to an incident.

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