This article provides practical guidance on when incidents must be reported under RIDDOR, including practical examples and useful links. The aim is to help duty holders understand their obligations, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure compliance.

Published: 27 March 2026
Authors: Hayley Saunders

What matters

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) is an essential part of UK workplace safety law. Employers, the self-employed, and the person in control of work premises must report certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). RIDDOR reporting is not just a legal requirement but is vital for monitoring workplace risks, preventing recurrence, and shaping future safety standards.

Duty holders must know which incidents are reportable, how to identify them, who should report under RIDDOR and the correct process for reporting. Failure to comply can result in enforcement action and reputational damage.

What matters next

To ensure compliance you should:

• familiarise yourself with the types of reportable incidents
• understand who is responsible for reporting under RIDDOR
• use the HSE’s updated guidance and online forms for clarity
• review practical examples to distinguish reportable from non-reportable events.

Who should report under RIDDOR?

The following persons (responsible person) are responsible for reporting reportable incidents:

• the employer, where an employee is involved in the incident
• a self-employed person if that person was in control of the premises where and when the reportable incident happened or when the self-employed person receives a reportable diagnosis
• the person in control of work premises where and when the reportable incident happened, in cases of incidents involving a non-employee.

When must incidents be reported under RIDDOR?

Reportable incidents

Incidents must be reported under RIDDOR if they are:

• work-related (arising out of or in connection with work)

• result in a reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence as set out below.
  
  Fatalities: Any work-related death (excluding suicides) must be reported under RIDDOR. If a person dies from a work-related injury within one year, this must also be reported regardless of whether the incident has already been reported. Fatal (and specified major injuries) can be reported by telephone or online.
  If death occurs in premises solely owned/ occupied by a self-employed person, this is not reportable.
  
  Specified injuries: The following specific injuries must be reported:

  • fractures (except fingers, thumbs, toes)
  • amputations
  • permanent loss or reduction of sight
  • crush injuries to head/torso causing internal organ damage
  • serious burns (covering over 10% of the body or significantly damaging the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs)
  • scalping requiring hospital treatment
  • loss of consciousness from head injury or asphyxia
  • injuries from working in enclosed spaces leading to hypothermia/heat illness or requiring resuscitation or hospital admission for more than 24 hours.

• over-7-day incapacitation: If a worker is unable to perform their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days (excluding the day of the accident and days the worker would not normally work), this must be reported within 15 days.

• injuries to non-workers: If a member of the public is injured due to a work-related accident and taken directly to hospital for treatment, this is reportable.

Occupational diseases

These are reportable when a responsible person is notified that a worker is suffering from any of the following diseases:

• carpal tunnel syndrome, where the work involves regularly using percussive/vibrating tools
• hand/forearm cramp, where the work involves long periods of repetitive movement of the fingers, hand or arm
• occupational dermatitis, where the work involves significant or regular exposure to a known skin sensitizer/ irritant
• hand-arm vibration syndrome, in work involving regular use of percussive/ vibrating tools or holding of materials subject to percussive processes/ processes causing vibration
• occupational asthma, where the work involves significant/ regular exposure to a known respiratory sensitizer
• tendonitis/ tenosynovitis in the hand or forearm, in physically demanding work involving frequent, repetitive movements
• occupational cancer linked to workplace exposure to a known human carcinogen or mutagen
• diseases due to workplace exposure to biological agents.

Dangerous occurrences

Certain events with the potential to cause serious harm must be reported, even if no injury occurs. Examples include:

• collapse or failure of lifting equipment or of the failure of any load-bearing part of such equipment (cranes, hoists, forklifts), but not of the failure of accessories to the equipment or ancillary equipment

• explosion or fire due to an electrical short circuit/overload causing work stoppage or a significant risk of death

• accidental release of hazardous substances which might result in personal injury to anyone (other than through the combustion of flammable liquids/ gases)

• incidents when plant/equipment unintentionally contacts an uninsulated overhead electric line with voltage over 200 volts or comes close to such a line where an electric discharge is caused

• incident involving the release or potential release/escape of a biological agent likely to cause severe human infection/ illness

• complete or partial collapse of:

  • a substantial part of any scaffold over 5 metres high
  • any supporting part of a suspended scaffold which results in a working platform falling
  • any part of any scaffold where anyone falling from it would be at significant risk of drowning.

Practical examples of reportable dangerous occurrences

• a warehouse worker fractures their arm (not a finger or thumb) in a fall
• a member of the public slips in a shop and is taken to hospital for treatment
• a forklift overturns but no one is injured
• an employee is diagnosed with occupational asthma
• a chemical storage tank ruptures, releasing hazardous vapours which cause injury to non-employees.

Reporting stress-related and mental health illnesses under RIDDOR

While stress and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are increasingly recognised as significant workplace health issues and employers have a duty to protect workers from stress as with other health and safety risks at work, they are not currently classified as RIDDOR-reportable.

The HSE is unlikely to investigate a report of an individual case of work-related stress or related ill health but may investigate if it appears several employees are suffering from work-related stress.

Further steps and best practice tips

• train responsible persons on identifying and reporting incidents
• use online forms and resources to ensure accurate reporting
• if circumstances change (for example, an injury later results in death), amend the report online using the HSE portal
• keep a copy of the submitted RIDDOR report and any supporting documentation
• maintain records of reportable incidents, reportable diagnoses and of workplace incidents which prevents the injured worker from doing routine work for more than three consecutive days (excluding the day of the accident); such records must be kept for at least three years
• keep accurate records of all workplace incidents, even those not reportable, for internal review and improvement
• review the HSE’s guidance regularly for changes in reporting requirements.

Useful links and resources

• HSE RIDDOR Guidance
• Types of Reportable Incidents (HSE)
• Make a RIDDOR Report Online
• HSE’s A to Z of guidance by topic HSE: Guidance: Topics
• For a full list of dangerous occurrences, refer to Schedule 2 of The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013