Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997
What is RIDDOR (NI) ’97?
You may be hearing or reading a lot about RIDDOR (NI) ’97, but what exactly does it mean? It means the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997, which come into operation on 1 April 1998.
Why do I need to know about RIDDOR (NI) ’97?
RIDDOR (NI) ’97 requires the reporting of work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. It applies to all work activities, but not to all incidents. Most people with duties under the Regulations will find all they need to know here – even if they didn’t know about the Regulations which RIDDOR (NI) ’97 replaces. However, if you want the full text of the Regulations together with guidance notes, a separate detailed guide is available (see “Publications” at the end of this leaflet).
Why more Regulations?
In this case more really is less. RIDDOR (NI) ’97 replaces three sets of previous Regulations. RIDDOR (NI) ’97 makes things easier in several ways. It simplifies what you should report and how to report it.
Why should I report?
Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables the enforcing authorities to identify where and how risks arise and to investigate serious accidents. They can then help and advise you on preventive action to reduce injury, ill health and accidental loss – much of which is uninsurable. A free leaflet Be safe – save money! looks at what accidents cost (see “Publications” at the end of this leaflet).
Do the Regulations affect me?
If you are an employer, self-employed or in control of work premises you will have duties under the Regulations.
What do I need to do?
Not very much! – For most businesses a reportable accident, dangerous occurrence or case of disease is a comparatively rare event. Please read this leaflet and keep it handy in case you need to make a report.
When do I need to act?
Death or major injury If there is an accident connected with work and: your employee, or a self employed person working on your premises is killed or suffers a major injury* (including as a result of physical violence); or a member of the public is killed or taken to hospital; you must notify the enforcing authority without delay (eg telephone). They will ask for brief details about your business, the injured person and the accident; and within ten days you must follow this up with a completed accident report form (NI2508). A form is included with this leaflet which you may copy. *Definitions of major injuries are given later.
Over-three-day injury
If there is an accident connected with work (including an act of physical violence) and your employee, or a self-employed person working on your premises, suffers an over-three-day injury you must send a completed accident report form (NI2508) to the enforcing authority within ten days. An over-the-three-day injury is one which is not major but results in the injured person being away from work or unable to do their normal work for more than three days (including non work days).
Dangerous occurrence
If something happens which does not result in a reportable injury, but which clearly could have done, then it may be a dangerous occurrence which must be reported immediately (eg by telephone). A summary of the reportable dangerous occurrences is given later. A full list is included with the pad of report forms and in the guide to the Regulations, or you can simply ring HSENI* to find out. Within ten days you must follow this up with a completed accident report form (NI2508). A form is included with this leaflet which you may copy. *See “Who do I report to?” for contact details.
Disease
If a doctor notifies you that your employee suffers from a reportable work-related disease then you must send a completed disease report form (NI2508A) to the enforcing authority. A form is included with this leaflet which you may copy. The reportable diseases are * listed later or you can simply ring the Employment Medical Advisory Service of the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) to check whether a disease is reportable. *See “Information for Doctors”.
I’m self-employed. What do I need to do?
If you are working in someone else’s premises and suffer either a major injury or an injury which means you cannot do your normal work for more than three days, then they will be responsible for reporting, so, where possible, you should make sure they know about it. If you or a member of the public is injured while you are working on your own premises, if there is a dangerous occurrence there, or if a doctor tells you you have a work-related disease or condition, then you need to report it. However, as a self employed person you don’t need to notify immediately if you suffer a major injury on your own premises. Either you or someone acting for you should send in a report form within 10 days.
Who do I report to?
In general, you should contact the environmental health department of your district council if your business is: • office based; • retail or wholesale; • warehousing; • hotel and catering; • sports and leisure; • residential accommodation, excluding nursing homes, or; • concerned with places of worship. See “Enforcing Authorities” for contact telephone numbers. For all other types of business it will be the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast BT6 9FR. Tel: (028) 9024 3249.
Keeping records
You must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. This must include the date and method of reporting; the date, time and place of the event, personal details of those involved and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease. You can keep the record in any form you wish, for example by keeping copies of completed report forms in a file or recording the details on a computer.
Which Report Form must I use?
Form NI2508 – for reporting injuries and dangerous occurrences. Form NI2508A – for reporting cases of disease. These forms are available from: The Stationery Office Bookshop 16 Arthur Street Belfast BT1 4GD Telephone: (028) 9023 8451 You should obtain the forms now to avoid delay should an accident occur. These forms can also be downloaded from HSENI’s website (www.hseni.gov.uk/forms.cfm)
Is that all?
In the case of accidents involving railways, forms NI2508RA, NI2508RB or NI2508RC can also be downloaded from HESNI’s website. Yes – for the majority of people with duties under the Regulations this leaflet contains all you will need to know. Any questions you may have, for example on reportable dangerous occurrences or diseases, can be answered by calling HSENI*. If, however, you would like to have more of the detail to hand, a detailed guide to the Regulations is available. It contains the full text of the Regulations together with guidance on interpretation and includes the lists of reportable diseases and dangerous occurrences (see “Publications” at the end of this leaflet). *See “Who do I report to?” for contact details.
Definition of major injuries, dangerous occurrences and diseases
Reportable major injuries are:
• fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes;
• amputation;
• dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine;
• loss of sight (temporary or permanent);
• chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye;
• injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
• unconsciousness caused by asphyxia or exposure to harmful substance or biological agent;
• acute illness requiring medical treatment, or loss of consciousness arising from absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin;
• acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted from exposure to a biological agent or its toxins or infected material;
• any other injury leading to hypothermia, heat induced illness or to unconsciousness; or requiring resuscitation; or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
Reportable dangerous occurrences are:
- collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment;
- explosion, collapse or bursting of any closed vessel or associated pipework;
- failure of any freight container in any of its load-bearing parts;
- plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines;
- electrical short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion;
- any unintentional explosion, misfire, failure of demolition to cause the intended collapse, projection of material beyond a site boundary, injury caused by an explosion;
- accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness;
- failure of industrial radiography or irradiation equipment to de-energise or return to its safe position after the intended exposure period;
- malfunction of breathing apparatus while in use or during testing immediately before use;
- failure or endangering of diving equipment, the trapping of a diver, an explosion near a diver, or an uncontrolled ascent;
- collapse or partial collapse of a scaffold over five metres high, or erected near water where there could be a risk of drowning after a fall;
- unintended collision of a train with any vehicle;
- dangerous occurrence at a well (other than a water well);
- dangerous occurrence at a pipeline;
- failure of any load-bearing fairground equipment, or derailment or unintended collision of cars or trains;
- a road tanker carrying a dangerous substance overturns, suffers serious damage, catches fire or the substance is released;
- a dangerous substance being conveyed by road is involved in a fire or released; The following dangerous occurrences are reportable except in relation to offshore workplaces;
- unintended collapse of: any building or structure under construction, alteration or demolition where over five tonnes of material falls; a wall or floor in a place of work; any false-work;
- explosion or fire causing suspension of normal work for over 24 hours;
- sudden, uncontrolled release in a building of: 100kg or more of flammable liquid; 10kg of flammable liquid above its boiling point; 10kg or more of flammable gas; or of 500kg of these substances if the release is in the open air;
- accidental release of any substance which may damage health.
Note: additional categories of dangerous occurrences apply to mines, quarries, railways and offshore workplaces.
reference
Queen`s university Belfast
Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland 83 Ladas Drive BELFAST BT6 9FR