RIDDOR reporting: what must be reported and when UK

What is RIDDOR reporting?

RIDDOR reporting is the system created by the RIDDOR 2013 under which employers, self-employed persons, and those in control of premises must notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) when specified workplace incidents occur.

The 2013 Regulations replaced earlier RIDDOR regulations and consolidated the reporting requirements into a single framework. The HSE uses the data collected through RIDDOR reporting to identify trends in workplace injury and disease, target enforcement inspections, and publish annual statistics on work-related harm.

RIDDOR reporting is separate from the accident book obligation under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979. The accident book is an internal employer record that must capture every workplace accident regardless of severity. RIDDOR reporting applies only to incidents above a threshold of seriousness, and the report goes to the HSE as an external regulator. An incident may require both an accident book entry and a RIDDOR report, or only an accident book entry, depending on its severity. For a guide to the accident book and how it relates to a compensation claim, see our accident book guide.

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What injuries must be reported under RIDDOR?

Five categories of incident trigger RIDDOR reporting obligations:

Deaths. Any death of a worker arising from a work-related accident must be reported immediately. Where a non-worker (a member of the public, a visitor, or a contractor) dies as a result of a work-related accident at the employer's premises or site, that death must also be reported. Deaths that occur some time after the accident are still reportable if caused by the work injury.

Specified injuries to workers. The 2013 Regulations define specified injuries as:

• Fractures other than to a finger, thumb, or toe
• Amputations of any body part
• Any injury likely to result in permanent loss of sight or reduction of sight in one or both eyes
• Crush injuries to the head or torso that cause damage to the brain or internal organs in the chest or abdomen
• Burns covering more than 10% of the body, or causing significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system, or other vital organs
• Any degree of scalping requiring hospital treatment
• Loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
• Any injury arising from working in an enclosed space that results in hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

Over-seven-day incapacitation. Where a worker cannot carry out their normal work duties for more than seven consecutive days after the accident (not counting the day of the accident itself), a RIDDOR report must be submitted. The over-seven-day threshold is lower than the specified injury threshold and has a longer reporting timescale.

Occupational diseases. Where a worker's doctor confirms a diagnosis of a reportable occupational disease linked to their work, the employer must report it. Reportable diseases include carpal tunnel syndrome associated with vibration, cramp of the hand or forearm associated with repetitive work, occupational dermatitis, hand-arm vibration syndrome, occupational asthma, tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm, and any occupational cancer.

Dangerous occurrences. A defined list of near-miss events must be reported even where no injury results. These include collapse or failure of any load-bearing part of a scaffold more than five metres in height, explosion or fire that results in the stoppage of normal work for more than 24 hours, accidental release of any biological agent likely to cause severe human illness, and electrical short circuit attended by fire or explosion that results in the stoppage of normal work for more than 24 hours.

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RIDDOR reporting timescales

The timescale for RIDDOR reporting depends on the category of incident:

Deaths and specified injuries must be reported without delay to the HSE incident contact centre (0345 300 9923). A formal written report must then be submitted to the HSE within 10 days using the online reporting portal at hse.gov.uk/riddor. Immediate telephone notification triggers a potential HSE investigation and site attendance.

Over-seven-day incapacitations must be reported online within 15 days of the accident. There is no requirement for immediate telephone notification. The count of seven days runs from the day after the accident.

Occupational diseases must be reported as soon as the employer receives a diagnosis from the worker's doctor confirming the work-related disease. The employer cannot delay reporting on the basis that they dispute the attribution.

Dangerous occurrences must be reported as soon as practicable after the event.

Employers must keep a record of every RIDDOR-reportable event for at least three years from the date of the report. The record must include the date, time, and place of the event, a description of what happened, details of the person involved, and the nature of any injury or disease.

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Who is responsible for RIDDOR reporting?

The responsible person under the 2013 Regulations is the employer in cases involving their own employees. Where a self-employed person is injured at premises controlled by another business, the responsible person is the person in control of those premises, not the injured person themselves.

An injured worker does not report to the HSE under RIDDOR. The duty falls on the employer or the person in control of the premises where the accident occurred. If you are injured at work and you believe your employer has not submitted a RIDDOR report when one was required, you can raise this with your solicitor. Solicitors can request copies of RIDDOR records from the HSE under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and through the disclosure process in civil proceedings.

An employer or responsible person who fails to submit a required RIDDOR report commits a criminal offence under section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Penalties include an unlimited fine on conviction. The HSE can also issue an improvement notice or a fee for intervention where a material breach of health and safety law is identified during investigation.

For a full guide to all the obligations an employer must meet after a workplace accident, including insurance notification and evidence preservation, see our employer responsibility guide.

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How RIDDOR reporting records help workplace injury claims

A RIDDOR report is frequently the most valuable piece of evidence in a workplace injury compensation claim, for three reasons.

Contemporaneity. The employer submitted the RIDDOR report shortly after the accident, under a statutory duty, before any compensation claim was made and before any dispute about the facts arose. Courts treat contemporaneous records as highly reliable. A RIDDOR report made on the day of the accident or within the statutory timescale carries far more weight than an employer's recollection given years later in a witness statement.

Statutory accuracy. The employer made the report under criminal penalty for inaccuracy. They are unlikely to have provided a false or misleading account of the accident in a compulsory government report. The description of how the accident occurred, and the nature of the injury, in the RIDDOR submission is therefore very difficult to retract or qualify in later civil proceedings.

Independent access. Injured workers and their solicitors can obtain copies of RIDDOR records relating to the accident without depending on the employer's cooperation. This is particularly valuable where the employment relationship has broken down or the employer is attempting to conceal the circumstances of the accident.

Where a RIDDOR report was required but was not submitted, the absence of the report is itself relevant. An employer who failed to report a serious workplace injury to the HSE as required may face adverse inferences in civil proceedings about whether they were attempting to limit the evidence available to the injured worker.

For a step-by-step explanation of how evidence is gathered and used in a compensation claim, see our how claims work guide.

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What happens if an employer fails RIDDOR reporting obligations?

Failure to submit a required RIDDOR report is a criminal offence under the 2013 Regulations, prosecuted by the HSE under section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The HSE's enforcement powers include:

• Issuing an improvement notice requiring the employer to submit the overdue report
• Prosecuting the employer in the magistrates' court or Crown Court
• Applying the fee for intervention scheme (currently £166 per hour of inspector time) where a material breach is identified during investigation

In a civil claim, failure to submit a RIDDOR report is not proof of negligence. However, it is relevant evidence that the employer was not complying with their legal obligations at the time of the accident, and it is relevant to the court's assessment of whether the employer's account of events should be believed.

If you are unsure whether a RIDDOR report was submitted after your accident, ask your solicitor to make enquiries of the HSE as part of the pre-action process. The three-year limitation period for a workplace injury claim runs from the date of the accident, or from the date you first knew the injury was work-related. For a full guide to time limits, see our time limits page.

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This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. RIDDOR reporting obligations and their interaction with civil compensation claims involve questions of fact and law that depend on individual circumstances. For advice about your situation, speak to a regulated solicitor. You can find one through the Find a Solicitor service (Law Society) or through APIL.

Frequently asked questions

Does a RIDDOR report automatically mean my employer admits liability?

No. A RIDDOR report is an administrative record required by law — it does not constitute an admission of fault. However, the fact that your employer submitted (or failed to submit) a RIDDOR report is relevant evidence in a compensation claim. HSE may investigate following a RIDDOR report, and any HSE enforcement action or improvement notices are strong indicators of a health and safety failure.

What if my employer failed to make a RIDDOR report they were required to make?

A failure to report under RIDDOR is a criminal offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. You can report a failure to the HSE directly. In civil proceedings, a failure to report does not prevent your compensation claim, but it may be relevant to establish that your employer had a pattern of poor safety management.

Can I get a copy of the RIDDOR report submitted about my accident?

You can make a Subject Access Request to your employer for their copy of the F2508 report or online submission. The HSE also holds records but access is subject to data protection and disclosure rules. Your solicitor can assist with obtaining these records as part of the disclosure process in litigation.

Does RIDDOR apply to self-employed workers?

RIDDOR requires self-employed workers to report their own specified injuries if they arise from a work activity. Employers must report injuries to non-employees (including self-employed contractors) that occur on their premises or arise from their work activities. The reporting duty does not determine whether a compensation claim is available — that is a separate question.