Keeping records
[ch 11: page 235]A record of all notifiable events under RIDDOR must be kept for three years. Employers are obliged to record over-three-day injuries, even though they only have to report over-seven-day injuries (see page 232), and they should use this information to review their health and safety procedures.
Acceptable recording arrangements include using the accident book, keeping photocopies of completed forms for reporting purposes in a suitable file, or recording the details of each accident or reportable disease on a computer, as long as the details can be retrieved and printed out easily.
Details about the extent of the reporting obligation, including detailed guidance on what amounts to a “specified injury”, an “occupational disease” and a “dangerous occurrence”, can be found on the RIDDOR page of the HSE website (www.hse.gov.uk/riddor).
Further guidance on reporting and recording occupational ill health and injuries is contained in the HSE’s Reporting accidents and incidents at work — a brief guide to RIDDOR 2013 (INDG453), available from the HSE website.
HSE, Reporting accidents and incidents at work - a brief guide to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) (https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg453.pdf)