What must be reported?
The Health and Safety Executive specifies that the following must be reported:
- Deaths and injuries caused by workplace accidents
- Occupational diseases
- Carcinogens, mutagens and biological agents
- Specified injuries to workers
- Dangerous occurrences
- Gas incidents
Get more information on the types of reportable incidents from the Health and Safety Executive.
How to report
Incidents should be reported online to the Health and Safety Executive.
Incidents that happen in Northern Ireland should be reported to HSE NI.
Record keeping
All employers must keep a record of any reportable injury, an injury that leaves a worker incapacitated for over three days, disease, or dangerous occurrence.
Your records must include:
- the date and method of reporting
- the date, time and place of the event
- personal details of those involved
- a brief description of the nature of the event or disease
Under social security law, an employer must keep an accident book if:
- they have more than 10 employees
- they own or occupy a mine, quarry or factory
These employers can use an accident book for the recording of injuries. A separate method will be needed for cases of disease. Accident books can be purchased from our online shop.
Make sure you protect people’s personal details by storing the accident book in a secure place.
You may also need to report incidents to your insurer.
Schools
Schools must comply with the above regulations, including keeping statutory accident records for all incidents.
In addition, schools must report accidents that happen to pupils or visitors to the Health and Safety Executive if:
- the person involved is killed or taken from the site of the accident to hospital, and
- the accident arises out of or in connection with work
An accident is considered to have arisen out of or in connection with work if it relates to:
- any school activity, both on or off the school premises
- the way a school activity has been organised and managed
- equipment, machinery or substances
- the design or construction of the premises
For detailed information, please visit the Health and Safety Executive's website.
Reporting accidents and incidents to Ofsted or your registered childminder agency
Registered providers must notify Ofsted or the childminder agency with which you are registered of:
- any serious accident, illness or injury to any child while in their care, and of the action taken
- the death of any child while in their care, and of the action taken
Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but in any event within 14 days of the incident occurring. A registered provider, who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with this requirement, commits an offence.
You must also notify local child protection agencies of the death, serious accident or injury to any child while in your care, and must act on any advice from those agencies.
Early Years Register
If you are on the Early Years Register, you must follow the above regulations. However, you are not required to report incidents to Ofsted if:
- the incident happens off the premises
- the incident happens to a child not in your care
- any person other than a child in your care has had such an incident
Childcare Register
If you are on the Childcare Register, you also must tell Ofsted about any serious accident, injury or death to a child or any other person on your premises.
