How to establish riddor accident reporting procedures

To comply with the law, you must report serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases, and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses) to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) using the RIDDOR online portal. As a business owner, you are legally responsible for identifying which incidents meet the reporting criteria and ensuring they are submitted within the statutory timeframe—usually within 15 days of the incident for most accidents, or 10 days for deaths.

What is RIDDOR?

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. In the fitness industry, if a client suffers a specified injury because of how you conducted a session or because of faulty equipment in your studio, it is often reportable. It is not just about recording the event in your own files; it is about notifying the national regulator.

What do you need to report?

Not every bumped knee needs a RIDDOR report. You must report:

• Specified injuries: This includes bone fractures (excluding fingers and toes), amputations, loss of sight, or any injury requiring resuscitation or a stay in hospital for more than 24 hours.
• Over-seven-day injuries: If you or a client are unable to perform normal work duties for more than seven consecutive days due to an accident at your place of business.
• Occupational diseases: Conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, severe cramp of the hand, or occupational dermatitis caused by work-related activities.
• Dangerous occurrences: These are 'near misses' that had the potential to cause serious injury, such as a piece of heavy cable machine snapping or a structural failure in your training space.

Steps to establish your procedure

1. Register with the HSE: Visit the HSE website to familiarise yourself with the online reporting forms. There is no formal 'account' to create, but you should bookmark the reporting page for quick access.
2. Maintain an Accident Book: While RIDDOR is for serious incidents, you should record all accidents in a GDPR-compliant accident book. This helps you spot patterns before they become RIDDOR-level issues.
3. Determine reportability: If an incident occurs, use the HSE website guidance to check if it meets the RIDDOR criteria. If it does, you must submit the report online via the relevant form (e.g., F2508 for injuries).
4. Keep Records: You must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence for at least three years after the date it happened.

Tip: Always distinguish between an accident caused by the 'condition of the premises' or 'work activity' and an accident that is simply a personal health issue. For example, a client having a heart attack is not usually reportable unless it was triggered by specific work-related factors.

Best practices

It is good practice to review your reporting procedure every six months. Ensure that if you work in a shared gym space, you know who is responsible for the RIDDOR report—usually, it is the person in control of the premises, but if you are a self-employed trainer using your own equipment, the responsibility may fall on you.