Accident reports in construction
There is a legal requirement through the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) for accidents and incidents to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
While RIDDOR recommends that all accidents, however small, are recorded in an accident book, it identifies the more serious types of accidents which must be reported to HSE as well as being recorded in the book. These include:
- Any injury that stops an employee doing their normal work for a period of 3 days or more.
- Major injuries such as broken arms, ribs, legs, etc.
- Fatalities.
- Disease.
- Dangerous instances occurring at work such as machinery breaking, scaffolding collapsing or any other appliances breaking and causing damage.
Forme can be found here for the following incidents:
- Injury.
- Dangerous occurrence.
- Injury offshore.
- Dangerous occurrence offshore.
- Case of disease.
- Flammable gas incident.
- Dangerous gas fitting.
The appropriate form should be completed by the responsible person. Fatalities and major injuries can be reported by phone to the HSE. A report must be received within 10 days of the incident.
The following information should be recorded:
- Injured person’s personal and contact details (name, phone number, address, age, occupation, etc.).
- Reporter’s personal and contact details (name, position, phone number, address, etc.).
- Accident details (date, time, location).
- Injury details (type, body part, whether any work days were lost as a result, whether an ambulance was required, whether the injured person lost consciousness, etc.).
- Witness details (name, phone number, address, etc.).
- Details of any supporting evidence (e.g. CCTV footage, photographs, training records, health and safety check records, cleaning logs, etc.).
- Reasons for accident (how it occurred, working conditions at the time, PPE being worn, equipment being used, events leading up to accident, etc.).
- Response to accident (first aid provided, whether the area was made safe, direct action).
- Preventative action (training needs, preventative plan put in place, how recurrences will be prevented).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Accident book.
- Construction health risks.
- Health and safety file.
- Injuries on construction sites.
- Near miss.
- Notification to HSE.
- Occupational accident.
- Occupational injury.
- Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites RIDDOR.
- Safety audit.
- Site records and registers.
- Slip and trip hazards.
Featured articles and news
Retrofit 25 – What's Stopping Us?
Exhibition Opens at The Building Centre.
Types of work to existing buildings
A simple circular economy wiki breakdown with further links.
A threat to the creativity that makes London special.
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
The smart construction dashboard, as-built data and site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
An outline of the bill with a mix of reactions on potential impacts from IHBC, CIEEM, CIC, ACE and EIC.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Architects Academy at an insulation manufacturing facility
Programme of technical engagement for aspiring designers.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.
The restoration of the novelist’s birthplace in Eastwood.
Life Critical Fire Safety External Wall System LCFS EWS
Breaking down what is meant by this now often used term.
PAC report on the Remediation of Dangerous Cladding
Recommendations on workforce, transparency, support, insurance, funding, fraud and mismanagement.
New towns, expanded settlements and housing delivery
Modular inquiry asks if new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing.