Accident Guidance

Company Name:

Date:

This guidance will help you to:

  • Understand what you need to do in the event of an accident.
  • Understand the regulations known as RIDDOR.
  • Know when to notify certain accidents, incidents and occupational diseases to the relevant enforcing authority.
  • Identify internal records for accident reporting and investigation.

Terminology

An accident is: / An unplanned, unexpected, random event that may cause damage, injury or death.
An incident is: / An accident or near-miss that did not cause injury.
A dangerousoccurrence is: / An accident that did not cause injury but had a high potential for risk and is listed in the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).

Accident Reporting Procedure:

All accidents, however minor, should be reported in an accident book. This is to keep a record of what is going on within your site, to identify whether you need to notify the enforcement authority, and to identify where things are going wrong! It will also help by providing information should the injured person decide to make a compensation claim.

You can obtain the official accident book (BI510) from "The Bookstore". Alternatively you can make your own but you must ensure that there is only one entry per page, and each completed page cannot be seen by anyone other than the injured person and other authorised people. This is due to changes in Data Protection legislation (see below).

If you make your own accident book it must record the following:

  • Date and time of accident.
  • Place of accident.
  • Name and address of injured person.
  • Name and address of any witnesses.
  • Details of injury.
  • Whether the accident is reportable to the enforcement authority (Through the Incident Contact Centre detailed below).

The purpose of the book is to allow employees to report details of an injury/accident and therefore you must ensure it is available to them to do so. This information must be passed to all employees. The person responsible for health and safety should check the accident book weekly. You must decide where the accident forms are to be kept, and who they are to be sent to within the Companywhen they are completed.

From 6th April 2012, RIDDOR, notification thresholds were relaxed slightly, but employers must continue to record over 3 day absence events.

RIDDOR's over three day injury reporting requirement has changed:

  • The trigger point will increase from over three days' to over seven days' incapacitation (not counting the day on which the accident happened).
  • The deadline by which the over seven day injury must be reported will increase to 15 days from the day of the accident.

Reportable Accidents

It is a legal requirement to report certain incidents to the authorities and you may be prosecuted for not doing so. The Regulations cover accidents, near-miss situations and diseases that occur at work.

Some types of incident require a report to be made immediately by the quickest practicable means, although the Regulations specify varying timescales for reporting different types of incidents, it is advisable to ring and report the incident as soon as possible by calling the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 99 23. Not reporting within the timescales is a criminal offence, it is therefore important that managers take immediate advice in the event of a reportable incident.

As of 12 September 2011, reportable work-related injuries and incidents under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995) moved to a predominantly online system, with a suite of seven forms available on HSE's website to make the statutory reporting process quick and easy.

However businesses will still be able to notify fatal and major incidents and injuries by phone following the changes to reporting arrangements, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

In cases of death, major injury, or dangerous occurrences, you must notify the enforcing authority without delay, most easily by calling the Incident Contact Centre.

Cases of over-seven day injuries must be notified within fifteen days of the incident occurring. (employers must continue to record over 3 day absence events).

Cases of disease should be reported as soon as a doctor notifies you that your employee suffers from a reportable work-related disease.

Reports need to be made in the event of:

Death or a major injury /
  • Death of employee from work injury, within 1 year of injury occurring.
  • Any fracture, other than to fingers, toes or thumbs (please note that chipped bones are classed as fractures).
  • Any amputation.
  • Dislocation of shoulder, hip, knee or spine.
  • Chemical or hot metal burn to the eye, or penetrating eye injury.
  • Any injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn (including arcing or arcing products) leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
  • Any injury leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or to unconsciousness, injury requiring resuscitation or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
  • Loss of consciousness or acute illness requiring medical treatment, which results from exposure to a harmful substance, biological agent, or absorption of a substance (e.g. by inhalation).
  • Any member of the public who is taken to hospital following an accident occurring on site.

Any injury, which results in more than 7 consecutive days incapacity from normal work / This includes someone who has been injured at work and is put on light duties. (employers must continue to record over 3 day absence events).
Reportable Diseases / You only need to report if both of the following criteria are met:
A doctor has medically diagnosed the disease.
The disease is listed in the Regulations in relation to that occupation.
Dangerous Occurrences /
  • Collapse or failure of any load-bearing part of lift or hoist, forklift truck, access cradle etc.
  • Failure of any closed vessel (including a boiler) or associated pipework in which internal pressure was above or below atmospheric pressure and has potential to cause death to any person.
  • Electrical short-circuit.
  • Unintentional explosion or ignition of explosives, other than where a fail-safe device or safe system of work functioned to prevent people from being injured.
  • Any incident where breathing apparatus malfunctions whilst in use.
  • Complete or partial collapse of scaffold which is more than 5 metres high.
  • Uncontrolled or accidental escape of anything in a pipeline, which has potential to cause death, major injury or ill-health.
  • Explosion or fire in premises which results in stoppage or suspension of normal work for more than 24 hours, where the fire was due to ignition of any material.

These are examples only, not an exhaustive list, if in doubt contact the ICC for further advice. The ICC is a reporting service for work-related health and safety incidents in the UK. The ICC Consultant will ask a few questions and take down appropriate details, this is reporting. The report will be passed on to the relevant enforcing authority and you will be provided a copy of the information for your files, to meet the RIDDOR requirement to keep records of all reportable incidents.

Telephone: / 0845 300 9923
Post: / Incident Contact Centre
Caerphilly Business Park
CF83 3GG
Internet: /
Fax: / 0845 300 9924
Email: /

Documentation

Injury Report Form

Accident Investigation Report Form

V3 09/11