The Importance of RIDDOR

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on:

To report work-related deaths, major injuries or over-three-day injuries, work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences to the HSE. The easiest way to do this is by calling the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) on 0845 300 99 23.

Failure to comply with the Regulations can lead to prosecution

For example a school in Essex did not report an incident where a caretaker sustained four fractured ribs and a gashed head after falling more than three metres through a fragile glass-fibre roof until a year after it happened. Sitting on 23 June, Basildon magistrates heard how the caretaker had been clearing rubbish from the fragile canopy at Brentwood County High School, on 28 February 2007. As he was carrying out this task, a panel broke beneath him, causing him to fall on to the concrete floor of the playground below. He has suffered recurrent migraines as a result of the fall.

The court heard that the school had not properly planned or assessed the work and assumed the canopy could take the weight of a man. It did not follow previous advice provided by Essex County Council on how to manage work at height.

Brentwood County High School pleaded guilty to breaching reg. 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to properly plan and supervise work at height, and reg.3(1)(b)(ii) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 for failing to notify the incident to the HSE within ten days. It was handed down a single fine of £1500 and told to pay full costs of £2862.