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Business practice and regulation

Accidents at Work

Employers must make every effort to avoid accidents in the workplace, but if they do occur, they must have arrangements in place to deal with them, and to identify the causes.

There must be an accident book or recording system, in which is recorded any incident which requires first aid or results in the inability of an employee to continue to work. Accident books are available in good book shops or office suppliers. The accident book should be reviewed every so often in order that trends can be identified. The occurrence of accidents may indicate hazards which are not adequately controlled.

Some accidents are required to be reported to the Health and Safety Enforcing Authority. For those occurring in shops, offices or warehouses, this will be the Environmental Health Department of the Local Authority. In other premises, such as factories or building sites, this will be the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Alternatively, any accident can be reported directly to the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) which is a new central clearing facility. Their telephone number is 0845 300 9923, or they have a website: www.riddor.gov.uk,  and e-mail address: riddor@natbrit.com.

The Authorities may investigate any accidents, and then may advise the employer how to reduce injury, ill-health and accidental loss in the future. In some cases, enforcement action may follow.

There are a range of major injuries which must be reported by the quickest possible means. These include:

• Death
• Amputation
• Fracture
• Dislocation
• Loss of sight
• Penetrating eye injuries
• Electric shock
• Unconsciousness
• Exposure to biological agent or toxins.

Injuries which necessitate more than three days off work must also be reported within ten days of the accident

Where death or major injury occurs, the Enforcing Authority must be notified immediately by telephone. This must be followed by an accident report on HSE Form F2508 within 10 days. Over-3-day injuries must be reported on an F2508 within 10 days. You must not interfere with the scene of the accident. Alternatively use the ICC reporting arrangements outlined in 3. above.

Certain dangerous occurrences must also be notified in the same way. These are situations which did not result in a reportable injury but could have done. Dangerous occurrences include:  

• Collapse of lifts
• Explosion of vessel or pipes
• Contact with power lines
• Electrical fire or explosion
• Release of biological agent
• Collapse of scaffold
• Failure of breathing apparatus

A full list is available on HSE Form F2508, or in the HSE Guide to the RIDDOR Regulations.   Further information is available from HSE Books, P.O. Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, Tel. 01787 881165, or the HSE Information Line 0541 545500

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