RIDDOR Reporting: The Complete Guide for UK Employers

If you employ anyone in the UK, you have a legal obligation to report certain workplace incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 — commonly known as RIDDOR — sets out exactly what must be reported, when, and how.

Getting RIDDOR wrong can lead to enforcement action, fines and even prosecution. Yet many employers remain unclear on exactly which incidents trigger a reporting duty. This guide walks you through every aspect of RIDDOR so you can stay compliant with confidence.

What Is RIDDOR?

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. It requires employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises to report specified workplace incidents to the HSE.

The purpose of RIDDOR is straightforward: it allows the HSE to identify where and how risks arise, investigate serious incidents, and target its resources at the industries and activities that present the greatest risk. The data collected through RIDDOR reports helps shape national health and safety policy and enforcement priorities.

RIDDOR applies to all work activities in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations.

Who Must Report Under RIDDOR?

The responsible person for RIDDOR reporting is typically:

• Employers — for incidents involving their employees or arising from work activities
• The self-employed — for incidents arising from their own work activities
• People in control of premises — for incidents that occur in connection with the premises (e.g. landlords, building managers)

If an employee is injured while working at premises controlled by someone else, the employee’s employer is still the responsible person. However, if a member of the public is injured at your premises, the person in control of those premises must report.

What Incidents Are Reportable?

RIDDOR covers five main categories of reportable incidents. Understanding each one is essential for compliance.

1. Deaths

Any death of a worker arising out of or in connection with work must be reported. Deaths of non-workers (members of the public, customers, visitors) must also be reported if the death arose from a work activity or was caused by an accident at a workplace.

Reporting deadline: Notify the HSE immediately by telephone (0345 300 9923), followed by a written report within 10 days.

2. Specified Injuries

Specified injuries to workers are serious injuries that must be reported regardless of how long the worker is incapacitated. The full list includes:

• Fractures — other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
• Amputations — loss of any limb or digit
• Crushing injuries leading to internal organ damage
• Scalping — separation of skin from the head
• Burns or scalds that cover more than 10% of the body, or that damage the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
• Loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
• Any injury requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
• Hypothermia, heat-induced illness or unconsciousness requiring resuscitation
• Any injury arising from working in an enclosed space that leads to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or requires resuscitation

Reporting deadline: Notify immediately by telephone, followed by written report within 10 days.

3. Over-7-Day Incapacitation

If a worker is incapacitated for more than 7 consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident itself) as a result of a workplace accident, this must be reported. The incapacitation need not involve absence from work — if the worker comes in but cannot perform their normal duties for over 7 days, it is still reportable.

Important: The 7-day count starts the day after the accident. Weekends and rest days count.

Reporting deadline: Written report within 15 days of the accident.

4. Reportable Occupational Diseases

Certain occupational diseases must be reported when a doctor notifies you that your employee has been diagnosed and the disease is linked to their work. The full list includes:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome — from work involving vibrating tools or repetitive movement
• Cramp in the hand or forearm — from repetitive work
• Occupational dermatitis — from exposure to sensitising agents
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome — from vibrating tools
• Occupational asthma — from exposure to respiratory sensitisers
• Tendonitis or tenosynovitis — from repetitive work
• Any occupational cancer — from exposure to carcinogens at work
• Disease attributed to biological agents — such as hepatitis, legionellosis or tetanus from workplace exposure

Reporting deadline: Written report as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed and the link to work is established.

5. Dangerous Occurrences

Dangerous occurrences are specified near-miss events that must be reported even if no one was injured. They indicate a high potential for serious harm. Examples include:

• Collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
• Explosions or fires that cause work to be stopped for more than 24 hours
• Release of flammable liquids or gases in certain quantities
• Electrical incidents causing explosion or fire
• Collapse or partial collapse of scaffolding over 5 metres high
• Unintended collapse of a building or structure under construction
• Overhead electric line incidents
• Pipeline failures
• Incidents involving explosives or radiological materials

Reporting deadline: Notify immediately by telephone, followed by written report within 10 days.

How to Report to the HSE

There are two methods for reporting RIDDOR incidents:

Online Reporting

The primary reporting method is through the HSE’s online RIDDOR reporting system at the HSE website. The system provides specific forms for:

• Reporting an injury
• Reporting a dangerous occurrence
• Reporting a case of disease
• Reporting a flammable gas incident
• Reporting a dangerous gas fitting

Telephone Reporting

For fatal and specified injuries only, you must first notify the HSE by telephone on 0345 300 9923. This line is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Outside these hours, contact the HSE duty officer.

Telephone notification must still be followed up with a written online report within 10 days.

What Information You Need

When making a RIDDOR report, you will need:

• Date and time of the incident
• Full name and address of the injured person
• Their occupation and nature of their employment
• Details of the injury, disease or dangerous occurrence
• A description of the circumstances — what happened and how
• The location where the incident occurred
• Details of the responsible person making the report

Record-Keeping Requirements

You must keep records of all reportable incidents for at least 3 years from the date of the incident. This includes:

• A copy of the RIDDOR report submitted to the HSE
• The date and method of reporting
• Details of the incident, the people involved and any witnesses
• Follow-up actions taken

Good record-keeping is not just a legal requirement — it is invaluable for identifying patterns, improving risk assessments and demonstrating due diligence to inspectors.

Common RIDDOR Mistakes

Many employers make avoidable errors with RIDDOR reporting. Here are the most common:

Failing to report at all — The most serious mistake. Some employers are unaware of their obligations or hope minor incidents will not be noticed. The HSE takes non-reporting extremely seriously.

Reporting too late — Missing the 10-day or 15-day deadline. Set up internal procedures to flag potential RIDDOR incidents immediately so you have time to investigate and report.

Misunderstanding the 7-day rule — Counting from the wrong day, or not realising that reduced duties (not just absence) count as incapacitation.

Not reporting near-misses — Dangerous occurrences are reportable even if nobody was hurt. A scaffold collapse is reportable whether or not anyone was underneath it.

Confusing RIDDOR with the accident book — Your accident book and RIDDOR are separate systems with different requirements. Recording an incident in the accident book does not satisfy your RIDDOR obligations. For a full guide to accident book requirements, see our article on workplace accident reporting for employers.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with RIDDOR is a criminal offence. The consequences can be severe:

• Improvement notices requiring you to change your reporting procedures
• Prohibition notices stopping work activities until compliance is achieved
• Prosecution — with unlimited fines in the Crown Court
• Personal liability for directors and managers who consent to or are negligent about non-compliance

In recent years, the HSE has increased its focus on under-reporting. If an inspector discovers unreported incidents during a routine visit, this will trigger further scrutiny of your entire health and safety management system.

How to Build a Robust RIDDOR Process

A systematic approach to RIDDOR compliance involves several key elements:

1. Educate Your Team

Ensure all managers and supervisors understand what RIDDOR is and what incidents might be reportable. They do not need to make the final decision on whether to report, but they must know to escalate incidents promptly.

2. Create a Clear Escalation Process

Define who in your organisation is responsible for RIDDOR reporting and ensure there is a clear path from incident to report. Every accident or near-miss should be assessed against RIDDOR criteria within 24 hours.

3. Track Incapacitation Carefully

For injuries that do not appear to be specified injuries, monitor the affected worker’s recovery carefully. If they cannot perform their normal duties for more than 7 days, you have a reporting obligation that begins on day 8.

4. Use Digital Accident Reporting

Paper-based accident reporting makes it easy to lose track of incidents, miss deadlines and fail to spot patterns. A digital accident reporting system can automatically flag potential RIDDOR incidents, track incapacitation periods, and remind you of reporting deadlines.

5. Review and Learn

Every RIDDOR report should trigger a thorough investigation and review of your risk assessments. The incident has already happened — your job now is to prevent recurrence.

RIDDOR and Your Wider Compliance Obligations

RIDDOR does not exist in isolation. It sits alongside other health and safety legislation including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and sector-specific regulations. A RIDDOR incident often indicates a failure in another area of your compliance framework.

For example, a reportable manual handling injury might reveal inadequacies in your risk assessments. A dangerous occurrence involving chemicals might highlight COSHH failures. Using RIDDOR data as part of your broader health and safety management ensures you are continuously improving.

Simplify Your RIDDOR Compliance

Managing RIDDOR reporting alongside your other compliance obligations can be challenging, especially if you are still relying on paper accident books and manual tracking. Digital tools can transform the process — automatically flagging reportable incidents, tracking incapacitation periods, sending deadline reminders, and maintaining the records you need for at least 3 years.

Learn more about how digital accident reporting can streamline your RIDDOR compliance with our Accident Reporting feature. For a broader view of how to build a culture of workplace safety, explore our Risk Assessments and Digital Checklists features.