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RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. It requires certain work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to be reported to HSE or the relevant enforcing authority. Getting it wrong is a criminal offence, and on construction sites the question comes up more often than in most workplaces.
Who has to report
The duty sits with the responsible person. That is usually the employer of the injured worker. For a self-employed person, it is the person in control of the premises, or the self-employed person themselves in some cases. For members of the public, it is the person in control of the premises where the accident happened.
What has to be reported
| Category | Examples | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | Any work-related death of a worker or non-worker, including where the person dies within one year of a reportable accident | Notify without delay, report within 10 days |
| Specified injuries to workers | Fractures (not fingers, thumbs or toes), amputations, serious burns and the others listed below | Notify without delay, report within 10 days |
| Over 7 day injuries | A worker is away from work or unable to do their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days, not counting the day of the accident | Within 15 days of the accident |
| Injuries to non-workers | A member of the public is taken directly from the scene to hospital for treatment | Notify without delay, report within 10 days |
| Occupational diseases | Diagnosed by a doctor and linked to work, such as hand-arm vibration syndrome | As soon as you receive the diagnosis |
| Dangerous occurrences | Listed near misses such as a scaffold collapse or contact with overhead power lines | Notify without delay, report within 10 days |
Specified injuries
- Any fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
- Amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe
- Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
- Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
- Serious burns covering more than 10% of the body, or causing significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
- Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
- Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
- Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
Report or record? The over 3 day rule
Injuries that keep a worker off normal duties for more than three consecutive days, but not more than seven, do not need to be reported. They must still be recorded. The over 7 day rule is what triggers a report.
Occupational diseases
- Carpal tunnel syndrome, where linked to hand-held vibrating tools
- Severe cramp of the hand or forearm, where linked to repetitive movement
- Occupational dermatitis
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome
- Occupational asthma
- Tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm
- Any occupational cancer
- Any disease attributed to an occupational exposure to a biological agent
Most of these are common in construction. Our guide to hand-arm vibration explains how HAVS and vibration-related carpal tunnel syndrome develop.
Dangerous occurrences most relevant to construction
- Collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifting equipment
- Plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines, or causing an electrical discharge from them
- Complete or partial collapse of a scaffold more than 5 metres high
- Unintended collapse of a building or structure under construction, or of falsework
- Electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion
- Accidental release of a substance that could damage health
Worked construction examples
| What happened | Reportable? |
|---|---|
| A labourer breaks a wrist falling from a stepladder. | Yes. Fracture, so a specified injury. Notify without delay. |
| A joiner cuts a finger, has stitches and is back the next day. | No. Record it in your accident records. |
| A bricklayer strains his back and is off for 9 days. | Yes. Over 7 day injury. Report within 15 days of the accident. |
| A groundworker is off for 5 days after a fall. | No, but record it as an over 3 day injury. |
| A passer-by is hit by falling debris and taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment. | Yes. Non-worker taken to hospital from the scene. |
| An excavator’s boom touches an overhead line but nobody is hurt. | Yes. Dangerous occurrence. |
| A doctor diagnoses a site operative with HAVS. | Yes. Reportable occupational disease once you receive the diagnosis in writing. |
How to report
Most reports are made online using HSE’s RIDDOR forms. Fatal and specified injuries can also be reported by telephone on 0345 300 9923. Keep a copy of every report.
Keeping records
You must keep a record of every reportable incident, every over 3 day injury, and every reportable disease and dangerous occurrence for at least three years. Businesses with 10 or more employees must also keep an accident book under social security law. Records are what an investigator will ask for first.
Using RIDDOR to improve the site
A report is not the end of the job. Investigate what happened, why it happened and what will stop it happening again, and share the lesson in a toolbox talk. Our accident investigation eLearning gives a structured method, and IOSH Managing Safely covers investigating incidents for line managers.
Where this fits in SMSTS and SSSTS
Accident reporting and investigation, including RIDDOR, is covered on both courses, and site managers on SMSTS are expected to know what to report and when. Our free SMSTS mock test and SSSTS mock test let you check your knowledge before the course or a refresher, and you can email yourself the results sheet at the end.
When you are ready, the five day SMSTS course is for site managers and the two day SSSTS course is for supervisors. If your certificate is due, the SMSTS refresher and SSSTS refresher keep it current.
Frequently asked questions
What does RIDDOR stand for?
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
What is the RIDDOR reporting deadline?
Deaths, specified injuries and dangerous occurrences must be notified without delay and reported within 10 days. Over 7 day injuries must be reported within 15 days of the accident.
Is an over 3 day injury reportable?
No. It must be recorded, but only injuries lasting more than seven days need to be reported.
Who reports a self-employed worker’s injury?
Usually the person in control of the premises. For some incidents, the self-employed person reports it themselves.
How long must RIDDOR records be kept?
At least three years.
Read the source
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, including regulations 3 to 12 and Schedule 2; HSE guidance on RIDDOR reporting, specified injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences, and HSE’s online reporting service. Facts checked on 6 October 2026.
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