HSSOP05
Procedure for reporting RIDDOR incidents Standard Operating Procedure
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Version:
V5
Ratified by:
Finance & Risk Committee
Date ratified:
23/06/2023
Job Title of author:
Head of Health, Safety and Compliance
Reviewed by Committee or Expert Group
Property Health Steering Group
Related procedural documents
HSPOL08 - Health & Safety at Work Policy
Review date:
23/06/2026
It is the responsibility of users to ensure that you are using the most up to date document template – i.e. obtained via the intranet In developing/reviewing this procedure Provide Community has had regard to the principles of the NHS Constitution
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Version Control Sheet Version V3
Date November 2016
Author Status Head of Safety and Resilience
V4
December 2018
Head of Safety and Resilience
May 2023
Head of Health, Safety and Compliance
V5
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Comment
Ratified
2 yearly review
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Contents 1.
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 5
2.
Reporting .............................................................................................................. 5
3.
Definitions ............................................................................................................. 6
4.
RIDDOR Reportable Flow Chart ........................................................................... 9
5.
Examples of Reportable incidents ....................................................................... 10
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1. Introduction The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on: • • •
Employers Self-employed people People in control of premises
To report work related deaths, major injuries or over seven day injuries, work related diseases, and dangerous occurrences (no harm accidents).
2. Reporting Why Should We Report Them? Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. The information enables the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities, to identify where and how risks arise, and to investigate serious accidents. The HSE can then help us and provide advice about how to reduce injury, and ill health in our workplace. This is clearly of benefit to the health and wellbeing of individuals and also to the competitive position of our organization. What Do We Need To Report? We are legally required to report: •
The death of any person as a result of an accident, whether or not they are at work
•
A major injury to someone who is at work which is was a result of an accident
•
An injury if it occurs to someone who is not at work (e.g. a member of the public) and is taken from the scene to a hospital or, if the accident happens at a hospital, suffers a major injury
•
A dangerous occurrence these are events which do not necessarily result in a reportable injury, but have the potential to cause significant harm
•
If someone at work is unable to undertake the full range of their normal duties for more than 7 days as a result of an injury (an ‘over 7day ’ injury) caused by an accident at work
•
The death of an employee if this occurs sometime after a reportable injury which led to that employee’s death, but not more than one year afterwards.
We are also legally required to report physical injuries resulting from acts of violence suffered by people at work. For example:
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•
Cases where a worker suffered shock and was unable to carry out the full range of their normal duties for over 7 days because of a physical injury received as a result of an act of violence would be reportable.
However, not the following examples: •
An act of violence made to a member of the public by an employee or another member of the public would not be regarded as an ‘accident’ and any resulting injury would not need to be reported.
•
Cases where a worker suffered shock from witnessing an act of violence or abusive or threatening behaviour would not need to be reported.
We are required to report all RIDDOR related matters to the HSE within 10 days, however this task is undertaken by Mike Fair (Head of Safety & Resilience). It is therefore imperative that ALL incidents are recorded on DATIX within 24 hours. They should also be signed off by the relevant line manager (whoever is there at the time of the occurrence or a substitute manager if they are away) within another 24 hours.
3. Definitions Death The unexpected death of any person must be reported. Major injury to a person at work The reportable major injuries are set out below. These include: •
Fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs and 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
•
Any other injury: leading to hypothermia, heat induced illness or unconsciousness; or requiring resuscitation; or requiring 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 Page 6 of 11
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•
Acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted
Injuries to people not at work Any injury to a person who is not at work (e.g. visitors) must be reported if it: •
Results from an accident arising out of or in connection with work
and •
Results in them being taken from the premises where the accident occurred to a hospital. It is worth noting that there is no requirement to check that treatment is actually administered by the hospital. The injury must still be reported even in cases where the person does not receive treatment (this does not include patient falls)
Biological Agents, Fluids and Infected Material In incident which resulted or could have resulted in the release or escape of a biological agent likely to cause severe human infection or illness then we need to report this is as a RIDDOR reportable incident. Such examples include an incident where there has been a needle stick injury, and following medical testing it has determined that medical treatment is required. i.e. medication is provided to eradicate infectious disease. This ruling applies to both staff and members of the public. Please note that under RIDDOR we do not need to report all needle stick injuries, only those that fit the guidance. Over 7 day injuries An over 7 day injury is one which is not ‘major’ but results in the injured person being away from work or unable to do the full range of their normal duties for more than seven days. When calculating ‘more than seven consecutive days’ the day of the accident should not be counted, only the period after it. Any days the injured person would not normally have been expected to work, such as weekends, rest days or holidays, must be included. Reportable diseases The reportable diseases are set out below. These include: •
Certain poisonings
•
Some skin diseases such as occupational dermatitis, skin cancer, chrome ulcer, oil folliculitis/acne
•
Lung diseases including: occupational asthma, farmer's lung, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma Infections such as: leptospirosis; hepatitis; tuberculosis; anthrax; legionellosis and tetanus
•
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•
Other conditions such as: occupational cancer; certain musculoskeletal disorders; decompression illness and hand-arm vibration syndrome
N.B. if you suspect a reportable disease, you should check by speaking to the Health and Safety Team at the time of the incident. If you have any further queries / concerns please contact the Health & Safety Team provide.hssf@nhs.net Examples of RIDDOR and NON RIDDOR Reportable incidents can be found in section 5
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4. RIDDOR Reportable Flow Chart
* For further guidance on definitions please contact the Head of Health, Safety and Compliance Notes •
All flagged RIDDOR reportable incidents are reviewed prior to submission to the Health & Safety Executive
In ALL staff related incidents / accidents a Root Cause Analysis MUST be completed by the Line Manager / Service Manager and submitted as soon as possible.
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5. Examples of Reportable incidents Reportable Accidents • • •
A confused patient falls from a window on an upper floor and is badly injured A patient is scalded by hot bath water and has to be moved to a burns unit for treatment An employee slips on the wet floor, breaks a bone and is off work for over seven days
Non Reportable Accidents •
A frail elderly woman falls and breaks her leg, there are no obstructions or defects in the premises (i.e. trips hazards) which contributed to the fall
•
A patient commits suicide
Reportable Dangerous Occurrences •
A client hoists fails due to overload
•
Asbestos is released from ducting during maintenance work
•
A nurse suffers a needle stick injury from a needle and syringe known to contain Hepatitis B positive blood
•
A laboratory worker spills a container of formaldehyde
•
A container of TB culture is broken and releases its contents
Non Reportable Dangerous Occurrences • • •
A domestic suffers a needle stick injury, the source of the sharp is unknown A urine specimen container is broken and the contents are spilled A doctor is injured by a sharp containing a client’s blood. The client is not known to have any infection
Reportable Diseases •
A nurse contracts TB after nursing a client with TB
•
A laboratory worker suffers from typhoid after working with specimens containing typhoid
•
A secretary suffers from work ¬related upper limb disorder
•
A surgeon suffers dermatitis associated with wearing latex gloves during surgery
•
A staff member becomes Hepatitis B positive after contamination with blood from an infected client
Non Reportable Diseases •
A nurse becomes colonised with MRSA after nursing clients infected with MRSA
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•
A member of staff catches chicken pox. Clients in areas where she has worked have chicken pox but so does their child
•
A nurse / porter suffers a back injury when lifting a heavy load and is unable to work for four days (i.e., more than 7 days)
•
A member of staff is punched by an angry client, suffers severe bruising and is off work for a week as a result of the injury and shock
•
A doctor’s finger is broken when it is trapped by a closing door they are unable to do their normal work from Friday until Tuesday
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