RIDDOR Reporting for Construction: What You Must Report and When

RIDDOR — the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 — places a legal duty on employers, the self-employed, and people in control of work premises to report certain workplace incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In construction, where the injury rate remains one of the highest across all sectors, getting RIDDOR right isn't optional. It's a criminal offence to fail to report.

This guide covers what's reportable, when you need to report it, and the mistakes that catch contractors out.

What Counts as Reportable Under RIDDOR?

Not every incident triggers a RIDDOR report. The regulations define five categories of reportable event.

1. Deaths

Any death of a worker arising from a work-related accident must be reported. This also applies to non-workers (members of the public, visitors) if the death results from a work-related accident on your site.

2. Specified Injuries

These are serious injuries to workers, including:

• Fractures (other than to fingers, thumbs, and toes)
• Amputations
• Permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
• Crush injuries leading to internal organ damage
• Scalping (separation of skin from the head)
• Burns covering more than 10% of the body, or damage to eyes, respiratory system, or other vital organs from chemical or hot metal exposure
• Loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
• Any injury arising from working in an enclosed space that leads to hypothermia, heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

3. Over-7-Day Incapacitation

If a worker is incapacitated for more than seven consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident) as a result of a workplace injury, it's reportable. "Incapacitated" means they can't carry out their normal work duties — even if they haven't taken sick leave.

4. Dangerous Occurrences

These are near-misses with the potential to cause serious harm. In construction, the most common include:

• Collapse, overturning, or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts, cranes, or scaffolding
• Accidental release of any substance that could cause injury
• Electrical short circuits or overloads causing fire or explosion
• Collapse or partial collapse of any structure, including falsework
• Unintentional explosions
• Contact with overhead power lines

The full list is in Schedule 2 of the regulations. It's worth reviewing it — many contractors underreport dangerous occurrences because they don't recognise them as reportable.

5. Occupational Diseases

Certain work-related diseases diagnosed by a doctor are reportable when linked to specific occupational activities. In construction, the most relevant include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome (from regular use of vibrating tools)
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome
• Occupational dermatitis (from exposure to cement, resins, or solvents)
• Occupational asthma (from wood dust, isocyanates, or other sensitisers)
• Tendonitis or tenosynovitis in the hand or forearm

Reporting Deadlines

The deadlines are strict. Missing them is itself a breach.

For fatalities and incidents where someone is taken to hospital, you should notify the HSE by telephone first on 0345 300 9923, then follow up with the online report.

How to Report

All RIDDOR reports are submitted through the HSE's online portal at riddor.hse.gov.uk. There are separate forms for different incident types:

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

Each form asks for details about the injured person, the circumstances of the incident, and the location. Have site addresses, postcode, and a clear description of what happened to hand before you start — forms time out if left incomplete.

Common Mistakes

These are the errors that lead to enforcement action, fines, and — in some cases — prosecution:

• Not recognising over-7-day injuries. If a labourer hurts their back on Monday and can't do their normal duties until the following Wednesday, that's eight consecutive days. It's reportable, even if they came in to do light duties.
• Ignoring dangerous occurrences. A scaffold partially collapses overnight but nobody's on site. No injury, so no report — wrong. That's a reportable dangerous occurrence regardless of whether anyone was harmed.
• Late reporting. The clock starts from the date of the accident (or, for over-7-day cases, from the day after the accident). Not from when you "got around to it."
• Reporting to the wrong body. RIDDOR reports go to the HSE (or your local authority if applicable). Reporting internally or to your insurer doesn't satisfy the legal requirement.
• Incomplete records. Even when the report is filed, contractors often fail to keep adequate internal records of the incident, investigation findings, and corrective actions.

Record-Keeping Requirements

You must keep a record of any reportable incident for at least three years from the date it was made. Records should include:

• Date and method of reporting
• Date, time, and place of the event
• Personal details of those involved
• A description of the event, injury, or disease
• Details of any investigation and corrective actions taken

Many contractors use their accident book for this, but a dedicated incident log — whether physical or digital — is easier to manage and audit.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to report under RIDDOR is a criminal offence. The HSE can issue:

• Improvement notices requiring you to correct the failing within a set period
• Prohibition notices stopping work until the issue is resolved
• Prosecution, which can result in unlimited fines and, in the most serious cases, imprisonment

In 2024/25, the average fine for health and safety offences in construction exceeded £100,000. Under-reporting doesn't save money — it multiplies risk.

How ScopeKit Helps

ScopeKit's incident reporting module lets you log incidents on site, categorise them against RIDDOR thresholds, and track reporting deadlines automatically. When an incident meets a reportable threshold, the system flags it and reminds you of the deadline — so nothing slips through the cracks. All records are stored with full audit trails, making it straightforward to evidence compliance during HSE inspections or client audits.

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RIDDOR reporting is one of those obligations that seems straightforward until something goes wrong. The key is building it into your site management process — not treating it as an afterthought when the HSE comes knocking. Know your categories, know your deadlines, and keep your records clean.