Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

Introduction

RIDDOR puts duties on the Trust, as an employer, to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational disease and specified occurences (near misses).

The H&S Team report RIDDOR incidents on your behalf and where a member of staff is absent for more than 7 days (this does not include the day of the accident) you must contact the H&S Team so that these over 7 day incidents can be reported to the HSE under RIDDOR.

We have also had some queries relating to needle-stick injuries relating to high risk sources. Schedule 2 (Dangerous Ooccurences) of RIDDOR requires:

Any accident or incident which results or could have resulted in the release or escape of a biological agent likely to cause severe human infection or illness’ must be reported.

For example, in practice, an incident where there was exposure to bodily fluid from a high risk source patient which could have touched an open wound where gloves should have been used but were not, would be reported to the HSE under RIDDOR as ‘could have resulted in infection or illness’ under Schedule 2.

Notifiable Incidents

Notifiable incidents only apply to those incidents which arise out of, or in connection with work. (Including violence at work) e.g. are due to a work activity, the condition of the premises, the use of a substance, failure to control a risk, etc.

To report an incident under RIDDOR, please contact the Health and Safety Team. Outside of office hours you must contact the Health & Safety Department at the first available opportunity following the incident.

NB: Reporting incidents/accidents as described above is in line with HSE guidance and does not replace your normal reporting mechanisms to your Director when required to do so. The Trust can be prosecuted for not reporting accidents/incidents under RIDDOR.