RIDDOR Explained: What You Must Report, to Whom, and by When

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. These UK regulations require employers, self-employed people and other responsible parties to report certain work-related incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the relevant enforcing authority.

Understanding which events are reportable, who must submit the report and the applicable deadlines helps organisations meet their legal responsibilities.

Which incidents must be reported under RIDDOR?

Reportable events include work-related deaths, specified injuries to workers, and injuries that prevent a worker from performing their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days. Certain occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, such as particular equipment failures, must also be reported when the relevant criteria are met.

Not every workplace accident is reportable. For example, an injury resulting in more than three but no more than seven days away from normal duties must generally be recorded, but is not reportable under the over-seven-day rule.

Employers should assess each incident against the official requirements rather than assuming every injury qualifies. Accurate records of the circumstances, witnesses and consequences help support that decision.

Who should report incidents, and what are the deadlines?

It is the responsibility of the person in charge, which is usually the employer or the person who is managing the work, to make sure all relevant incidents are reported to the right enforcement authority. It is mandatory to report work fatalities, particular injuries, and dangerous occurrences immediately. Those injuries that have lasted more than seven days should be reported within fifteen days after the incident. Reporting of an occupational disease must be done if the necessary diagnosis and conditions for it are met.

Reliable incident reporting software can help teams capture details, investigate causes and maintain consistent records. Suitable RIDDOR compliance software can also support reportability checks, deadline monitoring and preparation of reporting information. However, software does not remove the responsible person's legal duty to submit an accurate report on time.

Keep incident records accessible, review corrective actions and use lessons learned to prevent similar events. Check the official HSE guidance whenever reporting requirements are uncertain.

SiteChief helps organisations streamline incident reporting, investigations and RIDDOR-related workflows. Learn more at sitechief.com.