Procedures for Reporting and Recording Accidents

Accidents in the workplace can range from minor injuries, such as cuts and grazes, to something more serious like an amputation or a head injury, which can result in a loss of consciousness.

But what happens if you witness or experience an injury at work — how do you report and record such accidents? That is what we’re going to explain in this post. Read on to learn the correct procedures for reporting and recording accidents.

Why is It Important to Record and Report Accidents?

Recording and reporting accidents is essential for any workplace. Here are some of the many reasons why it is important to report and record all accidents at all times:

• Prevent any future accidents: Reporting all work-related accidents in the accident book allows employers to identify the cause behind the accident to prevent it from happening again.
• Improve safety in the workplace: When you report accidents in the workplace, you are improving the health and safety of your employees and building a safer working environment.
• Protect the company: Any accident that occurs at work can cost the company quite a lot of money, which is why it is important to do what you can as a company to prevent any accidents from happening.
   

Steps to Follow When Reporting and Recording An Accident

When an accident occurs, follow these steps to ensure that you handle and record the accident correctly, including filling out the right paperwork. Here is a step-by-step guide you can follow when reporting an accident in your workplace:

Step 1: Find Your Appointed Competent Person

First of all, you need to have the right person or people who are competent to deal with reporting the accident — your appointed Competent Person.

This is someone who is sufficiently trained, has relevant knowledge and experience, and is proactive will be a good fit for this role. The chosen person must also be willing and thorough with their approach to Health and Safety.

Step 2: Log the Accident in the Accident Book

You should log the accident in your organisation's accident book. You need to get an accident book if you don’t have one. In your accident book you should record the following details:

• The name of the person who is involved in the accident
• The gender, date of birth and job title of the person
• A description of the accident
• The date the accident happened
• The date the accident was reported
• The name and job title of the person logging the accident
• Whether the injured person is pregnant
• Whether the injured person was a child
• Remember to update your accident book when necessary.

Stage 3: Carry Out a Formal Investigation

A formal investigation will be done next — this sounds more daunting than it is. The investigation will involve gathering witness statements, taking any relevant photographs of the area where the accident happened, and noting in detail what happened.

Stage 4: Identify Whether the Accident is Reportable

This is all about whether your accident reporting needs to be escalated to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Our Health and Safety experts at Beaconrisk can help you determine whether or not the accident is reportable under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations); if it does need reporting, we will know how to best approach the HSE.

Serious accidents should always be reported under RIDDOR. The severity of the situation must be correctly evaluated. If it is not a RIDDOR reportable accident and you log the accident with the Health and Safety Executive as one, you might cause an unnecessary investigation into your business.

Stage 5: Filling in the Forms

If the accident is reportable, then you will need to complete an online form that’ll be stored in the HSE’s RIDDOR database. There are seven reports to choose from, including the following:

• Report of an injury
• Report of a dangerous occurrence
• Report of an injury offshore
• Report of a dangerous occurrence offshore
• Report of a case of disease
• Report of a flammable gas incident

• Report of a dangerous gas fitting

  Prioritise on your forms which option is most important, as more than one may be relevant. RIDDOR works based on one report per event, rather than one per reportable issue.

Stage 6: Review Your Risk Assessments

It is always good practice to review risk assessments and internal policies after an accident or near accident has taken place.

This will ensure you can identify any potential safety gaps that might have formed in your organisation since the last risk assessment took place and help to prevent such accidents from happening again in the future.

Contact Beaconrisk Today!

Accidents will always happen, no matter how many safety measures you take, but reporting and recording them can prepare you for any future accidents.

At Beaconrisk, we are the health and safety experts to help you in your industry. We specialise in the construction industry, where accidents, both minor and major, happen every single day.

It is a legal requirement for employers to meet the correct health and safety standards. At Beaconrisk, we understand the difficulty in keeping on top of all safety regulations and laws, and this is where we can help you. Contact us for any help or advice.

We have an endless amount of health and safety eLearning training courses for you and your employees to complete to ensure competent staff in all areas of health and safety.

We are also experts in accreditation support, always aiming to save you time, money, and hassle so you can achieve your accreditation quickly. Contact us for more information.