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Health and Safety Services

GUIDANCE NOTE - OHSU G19 (1997)

Guidance on Reporting Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

Introduction

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95) have been introduced under the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and replace the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

The Regulations came into force on 1st April, 1996 and stipulate the reporting requirements for "work-related" accidents and dangerous occurrence within the University to the enforcing authority - the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Regulations apply to all work activities but not to all accidents. The information obtained from reporting enables the enforcing authority to identify where and how risks arise, to investigate serious incidents and to advise employers and employees on preventative action to reduce injury, ill health and accident loss - much of which is uninsurable.

The purpose of this guidance note is to advise Colleges / Departments of the circumstances and manner in which Health and Safety Services should be notified of any injuries, diseases or dangerous occurrences.

Procedure

Except in circumstances described in paragraph 4 the accident reporting procedure in paragraph 3 should be followed.

Reporting an accident / incident

All accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to Health and Safety Services on the "University Accident and Incident Report Form" (Appendix 1) as soon as possible and in any case no later than 7 days after the occurrence.

Reporting death, major injury, disease and dangerous occurrences

In some circumstances the Regulations require the University to notify the HSE.  Such circumstances should be reported to Health and Safety Services as described below:

Reporting a death or major injury

If there is an accident connected with work and

    • A University employee or a self employed person working on University premises is killed or suffers a major injury (including as a result of physical violence).
    • Any person not at work (eg student or member of the public) is killed or taken to hospital for medical attention.

Health and Safety Services should be notified immediately (ext 3847). An accident report form should also be completed. For the definition of a major injury please refer to relevant section below.

Reporting an over-three day injury

Inform Health and Safety Services as soon as possible after the third day of absence if a University employee or self-employed person working on University premises is unable to attend work for three or more days following a work-related accident or incident connected with work.

Note: Three consecutive days excludes the day of the accident but includes any days which would not have been working days such as weekends.

Reporting a dangerous occurrence

If something happens which does not result in a reportable injury, but which clearly could have done, it may be a reportable dangerous occurrence which should be notified immediately (eg by telephone) to Health and Safety Services. An accident form should then be completed as above.

A summary of reportable dangerous occurrences is given below.

Reporting a work related disease

Inform Health and Safety Services immediately if a University employee presents a written diagnosis, by a doctor, of one of the diseases listed below and this disease is work-related.

Reportable major injuries

The following injuries and conditions must be reported to Health and Safety Services (ext 3847) as soon as possible:

  • any fracture, other than to the fingers, thumbs or toes;
  • any amputation;
  • dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine;
  • loss of sight (whether temporary or permanent);
  • a chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or penetrating injury to the eye;
  • any injury resulting from electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
  • any other injury: leading to hypothermia, heat induced illness or unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation; or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
  • loss of consciousness caused by asphyxia or exposure to a 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.

Reportable dangerous occurrences

Inform Health and Safety Services immediately i f an incident occurs which does not result in a reportable injury but which clearly could have and involved any of the following equipment, processes, activities or premises.

  1. Collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment.
  2. Explosion, collapse or bursting of any closed vessel or associated pipework.
  3. Failure of any freight container in any of its load-bearing parts.
  4. Plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines.
  5. Electrical short circuit or overload causing fire or explosion.
  6. Any unintentional explosion, misfire, failure of demolition to cause the intended collapse, projection of material beyond a site boundary, injury caused by an explosion.
  7. Accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness.
  8. Failure of industrial radiography or irradiation equipment to de-energise or return to its safe position after the intended exposure period.
  9. Malfunction of breathing apparatus while in use or during testing immediately before use.
  10. Failure or endangering of diving equipment, the trapping of a diver, an explosion near a diver, or an uncontrolled ascent.
  11. 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.
  12. Unintended collision of a train with any vehicle.
  13. Dangerous occurrence at a well (other than a water well).
  14. Dangerous occurrence at a pipeline.
  15. Failure of any load-bearing fairground equipment, or derailment or unintended collision of cars or trains.
  16. A road tanker carrying a dangerous substance overturns, suffers serious damage, catches fire or the substance is released.
  17. A dangerous substance being conveyed by road is involved in a fire or released.
  18. 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.
  19. Explosion or fire causing suspension of normal work over 24 hours.
  20. Sudden, uncontrolled release in a building of: 100 kg or more of flammable liquid; 10 kg of flammable liquid above its boiling point; 10 kg or more of flammable gas; or 500 kg of these substances if the release is in the open air.
  21. Accidental release of any substance which may damage health.

Reportable diseases

Conditions due to physical agents and the physical demands of work

  1. Inflammation, ulceration or malignant disease of the skin due to ionising radiation.
  2. Malignant disease of the bones due to ionising radiation.
  3. Blood dyscrasia due to ionising radiation.
  4. Cataract due to electromagnetic radiation.
  5. Decompression illness.
  6. Barotrauma resulting in lung or other organ damage.
  7. Dysbaric osteonecrosis.
  8. Cramp of the hand or forearm due to repetitive movements.
  9. Subcutaneous cellulitis of the hand (beat hand).
  10. Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis arising at or about the knee due to severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the knee (beat knee).
  11. Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis arising at or about the elbow due to severe or prolonged external friction or pressure at or about the elbow (beat elbow).
  12. Traumatic inflammation of the tendons of the hand or forearm or of the associated tendon sheaths.
  13. Carpal tunnel syndrome.
  14. Hand-arm vibration syndrome.

Infections due to biological agents

  1. Anthrax.
  2. Brucellosis.
  3. Avian chlamydiosis.
  4. Ovine chlamydiosis.
  5. Hepatitis.
  6. Legionellosis.
  7. Leptospirosis.
  8. Lyme Disease.
  9. Q Fever.
  10. Rabies.
  11. Streptococcus suis.
  12. Tetanus.
  13. Tuberculosis.
  14. Any infection reliably attributable to the performance of the work as follows: work with micro-organisms; live or dead human beings in the course of providing any treatment or service or in conducting any investigation involving exposure to blood or body fluids; animals or any potentially infected material derived from any of the above.

Conditions due to substances

  1. Acrylamide monomer.
  2. Arsenic or one of its compounds.
  3. Benzene or a homologue of benzene.
  4. Beryllium or one of its compounds.
  5. Cadium or one of its compounds.
  6. Carbon disulphide.
  7. Diethylene dioxide (dioxan).
  8. Ethylene oxide.
  9. Lead or one of its compounds.
  10. Manganese or one of its compounds.
  11. Mercury or one of its compounds.
  12. Methyl bromide.
  13. Nitrochlorobenzene, or a nitro-or amino-or chloro-derivative of benzene or of a homologue of benzene.
  14. Oxides of nitrogen.
  15. Phosphorus or one of its compounds.
  16. Cancer of a bronchus or lung.
  17. Primary carcinoma of the lung where there is accompanying evidence of silicosis.
  18. Cancer of the urinary tract.
  19. Bladder cancer.
  20. Angiosarcoma of the liver.
  21. Peripheral neuropathy.
  22. Chrome ulceration of the: nose or throat or the skin of the hands or forearm.
  23. Folliculitis.
  24. Acne.
  25. Skin caner.
  26. Pneumoconiosis (excluding asbestosis).
  27. Byssinosis.
  28. Mesothelioma.
  29. Lung cancer.
  30. Asbestosis.
  31. Cancer of the nasal cavity or associated air sinuses.
  32. Occupational dermatitis.
  33. Extrinsic alveolitis (including farmer's lung)
  34. Occupational asthma.