The accident book



Under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987, employers of 10 or more people must record all accidents, however minor the injuries. The record, which is normally an accident book, should be kept in an accessible place and may be inspected by enforcing officers. Accident books should be kept for three years after the date of the last entry.



Safety reps have a legal right to the information in the accident book, but the HSE accident forms include a tick-box to enable the injured worker to indicate whether they agree to their personal information being given to the safety rep. If an individual does not agree, the employer must still give the rep the information, but should conceal the individual’s identity and details. Safety reps are entitled to see records created for the purposes of RIDDOR except to the extent that they reveal personal health information about individuals.