Accident Reporting

Introduction

Employers have a duty to report certain dangerous occurrences and accidents at work to the Local Authority who will investigate any incidents. The outcome of these enquiries usually involves the giving of advice to the employer. If a blatant breach of requirements is identified as the main reason for an accident happening, then formal action will be taken.

Who do I contact to report an accident?

RIDDOR, or the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 1995, places a legal duty on employers; the self-employed; and those in control of premises; to notify and report some work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the relevant enforcing authority for their work activity.

The easiest way to do this is by telephoning the Incident Contact Centre on: 0845 300 9923.

What is the Incident Contact Centre?

The ICC is a ‘one-stop’ reporting service for work-related health and safety incidents

How does RIDDOR affect me?

The law requires the following work-related incidents to be reported:

• deaths;
• major injuries;
• over-3-day injuries – where an employee or self-employed person is away from work or unable to work normally for more than 3 consecutive days;
• injuries to members of the public or people not at work where they are taken from the scene of an accident to hospital;
• some work-related diseases (using the F2508A report form);
• dangerous occurrences – where something happens that does not result in an injury, but could have done;
• flammable gas incidents (using the F2508G1 report form) (for gas conveyors and suppliers only); and
• dangerous gas fittings (for registered CORGI gas fitters only) (using the F2508G2 report form).

How do I use this Service?

By telephoning 0845 300 9923 (local rate). This way is the quickest and most straightforward way to report with no need to fill in a report form. The ICC is open from Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm, to speak to an ICC operator. All information will remain confidential.

The responsible person (the employer or person in control of the premises) must notify, report and record incidents. The ICC will pass your report on to the relevant enforcing authority. You will then be sent a copy for your own records – this meets the RIDDOR requirement to keep records of all reportable incidents. It also allows you to correct any errors or omissions.

You can also report by completing an interactive form on the ICC RIDDOR website you will be automatically sent a copy for your records).

Reports are also accepted via email (as an attachment), provided that the attachment is in the same format as the F2508 report form.
You can also send a report to the ICC by mail - see contacts below.

Reporting out of normal working hours

You should only contact your enforcing authority out of hours in the following circumstances:

fatal accidents;
accidents where several workers have been seriously injured;
accidents resulting in serious injury to a member of public;
accidents and incidents causing major disruption, such as evacuation of people, closure of roads, large numbers of people going to hospital etc.
Remember, you can always complete a form on the ICC RIDDOR website or send and e-mail with an attachment – 24 hours a day.

What will the Council do?

Wyre Forest District Council will investigate any incidents. The outcome of these enquiries usually involves the giving of advice to the employer. If a blatant breach of requirements is identified as the main reason for an accident happening, then formal action will be taken.

Contacts