11. Dealing with accidents, injuries and ill health

Reporting exposure to coronavirus

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has advised employers they must make a report under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (the 2013 RIDDOR Regulations) when: 

• an unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus. This must be reported as a dangerous occurrence. For example, a lab worker accidentally smashes a glass vial containing coronavirus, leading to people being exposed; 

• a worker has been diagnosed as having COVID-19 and there is reasonable evidence that it was caused by exposure at work. This must be reported as a case of disease. For example, a health care professional is diagnosed with COVID-19 after treating patients with COVID-19; or

• a worker dies as a result of occupational exposure to coronavirus. If someone dies as a result of a work-related exposure to coronavirus and this is confirmed as the likely cause of death by a registered medical practitioner, the employer must report this as a death due to exposure to a biological agent using the “case of disease” report form. They must report workplace fatalities to the HSE by the quickest practicable means without delay and send a report of that fatality within 10 days of the incident