What is RIDDOR and who does it apply to?
RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. The regulations came into force on 1 October 2013 and replaced an earlier version of RIDDOR from 1995. They are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Great Britain (separate but equivalent regulations apply in Northern Ireland).
The duty to report under RIDDOR falls on the "responsible person": in most workplaces, that is the employer. Where an incident occurs on premises controlled by someone other than the employer (a construction site controlled by a principal contractor, for example), the duty may fall on the person in control of the premises. As an injured worker, you have no personal duty to make a RIDDOR report, though you have every reason to check whether your employer has done so.
What must be reported under RIDDOR: the five categories
Category 1: deaths
The death of any worker caused by a workplace accident must be reported to the HSE. This includes deaths that occur at the workplace and deaths that occur later as a result of a reportable injury or an occupational disease. The report must be made immediately by the fastest practicable means (usually by telephone) and followed up with a written report within 10 days.
The death of a non-worker (a member of the public, a visitor, a customer) at a workplace must also be reported where it arises from a work activity.
Category 2: specified injuries to workers
The following injuries to workers must be reported under RIDDOR regardless of the period of incapacitation they cause:
- A fracture, other than to a finger, thumb, or toe
- Amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot, or toe
- Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight, or reduction in sight, in one or both eyes
- Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
- Any burn injury covering more than 10% of the body, or which causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system, or other vital organs
- Any degree of scalping requiring hospital treatment
- Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
- Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space that leads to hypothermia, heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
Specified injuries are the most serious single-incident injuries and require reporting within 10 days of the incident.
Category 3: over-seven-day incapacitation injuries
An injury that is not a specified injury but which results in the injured worker being unable to carry out their normal work duties for more than seven consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident) must be reported under RIDDOR. This is the most common category of RIDDOR-reportable incident in UK workplaces.
The seven days run consecutively and include rest days and weekends. If a worker sprains their back on a Monday and is signed off for nine days by their GP, that is a reportable over-seven-day incapacitation injury.
The report must be made within 15 days of the accident date (not from the end of the seven-day period). If you have been off work for more than a week following a workplace accident, ask your employer whether they have submitted a RIDDOR report.
Category 4: injuries to non-workers
An injury to a person who is not at work (a customer, a visitor, a member of the public) that is caused by a workplace accident must be reported if the person is taken from the scene to a hospital for treatment. Where the incident occurs at a hospital, the person must be admitted to hospital for treatment (rather than merely attending A&E and being sent home).
Category 5: dangerous occurrences
Dangerous occurrences are specified near-miss events that have the potential to cause serious injury, even if no one is actually injured. RIDDOR 2013 lists 27 categories of dangerous occurrence. The most commonly encountered include:
- The collapse, overturning, or failure of load-bearing parts of lifting equipment (cranes, hoists, fork-lift trucks)
- The failure of any closed vessel or associated pipework which forms part of a pressure system
- Unintended collapse or partial collapse of a building or structure under construction involving five tonnes or more of material
- Unintended ignition or explosion of explosives
- A train or rail vehicle collision or derailment
- Release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness
What occupational diseases must be reported under RIDDOR?
RIDDOR also requires the reporting of certain occupational diseases where a worker has been diagnosed with a prescribed condition and their work involves the associated exposure. The main prescribed diseases include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome from prolonged use of vibrating tools
- Cramp of the hand or forearm from repetitive work
- Occupational dermatitis from skin contact with substances identified in the regulations
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome
- Occupational asthma from exposure to a sensitising agent at work
- Tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm from repetitive work
A RIDDOR report for an occupational disease is submitted by the employer after they receive a diagnosis from the affected worker's doctor. The report triggers an HSE record but does not itself determine the civil liability for a compensation claim.
Who is responsible for making a RIDDOR report?
The duty to report under RIDDOR is the employer's (or the responsible person's). You as an injured worker have no obligation to make the report. If your employer fails to report a RIDDOR-notifiable incident, they are committing a criminal offence but you are not: your failure to ensure a report is made does not prejudice your right to compensation.
That said, you have a practical interest in knowing whether a RIDDOR report was made and, if so, what it says. You can ask your employer for a copy of any RIDDOR report relating to your accident under your data rights, and your solicitor can request it through pre-action disclosure. The HSE's internal records of RIDDOR reports can also be obtained through a Freedom of Information request.
For a fuller guide to your employer's duties around evidence preservation and incident recording, see our employer responsibilities guide.
How does a RIDDOR report help your compensation claim?
A RIDDOR report filed by your employer is a significant piece of evidence in a civil compensation claim for several reasons:
It is an admission of the incident. The report confirms, in writing, that the accident occurred on a particular date and caused a particular injury. It is the employer's own account.
It establishes seriousness. The duty to report under RIDDOR only arises for injuries of a certain severity. The fact that a report was required (and hopefully filed) confirms that the injury was not minor.
It creates an official record. The HSE holds a database of RIDDOR reports. Where a report was made, it exists independently of anything your employer or their insurer does later.
It may reveal the employer's version of events. What your employer put in the RIDDOR report, and whether that account differs from what they say later in correspondence or litigation, can be directly relevant to credibility.
If your employer failed to report an incident that was clearly RIDDOR-notifiable, that failure is itself evidence of poor safety management culture and may support the broader picture of employer negligence in your claim.
Does a RIDDOR report affect the time limit for your claim?
No. The three-year limitation period for a workplace injury compensation claim runs from the date of the accident (or date of knowledge for industrial disease) under section 11 of the Limitation Act 1980. It is not affected by whether or when a RIDDOR report was made, or whether one was made at all.
For the full rules on time limits, including the exceptions for industrial disease and claimants under 18, see our time limits guide. For a general guide to RIDDOR and the reporting process, see our RIDDOR reporting guide.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Every claim turns on its own facts. For advice about your specific situation, speak to a regulated solicitor. You can find one through the Find a Solicitor service (Law Society) or through APIL.
Frequently asked questions
What injuries must be reported under RIDDOR?
RIDDOR 2013 requires reporting of deaths, specified injuries (fractures other than finger/thumb/toe, amputations, serious eye injuries, crush injuries, significant burns, loss of consciousness from head injury), over-seven-day incapacitation injuries, injuries to non-workers requiring hospital treatment, and dangerous occurrences. Certain occupational diseases must also be reported on diagnosis.
Who has to report under RIDDOR?
The duty falls on the employer or the responsible person in control of the premises where the incident occurs. As an injured worker, you have no personal duty to submit a RIDDOR report. If your employer fails to report a notifiable incident, they commit a criminal offence but that does not affect your right to claim compensation.
Does my employer have to report my accident to the HSE?
Only if it falls within the RIDDOR categories. Minor injuries that do not cause more than seven days of incapacitation and do not qualify as specified injuries do not require a RIDDOR report. An injury that keeps you off work for eight or more consecutive days (not counting the accident day) does require reporting within 15 days. If you are unsure, ask your employer.
Can I find out if a RIDDOR report was made about my accident?
Yes. Ask your employer directly: they are required to keep records of RIDDOR reports for at least three years. Your solicitor can request the report through pre-action disclosure. You can also submit a Freedom of Information request to the HSE for any report relating to your accident, though HSE responses take time.
Browse every plain-English guide in the work accident guides hub, or read the main guide to how a claim works.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Every claim turns on its own facts. For advice about your specific situation, speak to a regulated solicitor.