Under RIDDOR BTHFT are required to report to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) all deaths, certain types of injury, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences that arise ‘out of or in connection with work’.

Generally, for an accident to have arose ‘out of or in connection with work’ either the work activities, equipment or environment (including how work was carried out, organised or supervised) must have contributed in some way to the accident.

BTHFT must report the death of any person, whether or not they are at work, if it is caused by an accident arising ‘out of or in connection with work’, where the death occurs within one year of the date of the accident.

Reportable death:

• A member of staff going home is hit and killed by a van making a delivery on site.

This is reportable because the van is undertaking a work activity.

Not a reportable death

• A member of staff going home is hit and killed in the car park by a patient driving to an outpatient appointment.

This is not reportable because there is no work activity involved.

BTHFT must report all incidents resulting in a specified injury, where they arise ‘out of or in connection with work’. List of specified injuries are included in the RIDDOR reporting protocol and poster. Further advice is available from the Risk Management Department. The following examples highlight some of the reportable specified injuries.

Reportable specified injuries

• A member of staff carrying files down a flight of stairs, trips and falls down the stairs, sustaining a fracture to their leg (there are no contributing environmental factors).

This is reportable because the accident occurred during the course of a work activity (carrying files).

• A member of the catering staff becomes trapped in a cold store for 3 hours which leads to them developing hyperthermia.

This is reportable because they were working in a confined space (the cold store) when they developed hyperthermia.

Not reportable injury

• A matron walking between wards they manage slips whilst walking down a flight of stairs (there are no contributing environmental factors).

This is not reportable because although it occurred during the course of their work, the accident did not occur because of a work activity. However, if there had been a problem with the stairs, it would be reportable.

Incidents must be reported to the HSE where they occur ‘out of or in connection with work’ and result in a member of staff being absent from work, or unable to perform their normal work duties, for more than seven consecutive days as the result of their injury.

Examples of reportable over seven day injuries would be:

• A nurse injures their back whilst moving a patient on Monday and is subsequently absent from work until the following Wednesday.
• A porter traps their hand whilst moving a bed on Wednesday and are subsequently absent from work until the following Monday, when they return they are unable to undertake heavy lifting so are given the task of working on the helpdesk for a further week. This is reportable as they are unable to do their normal duties.
• An electrician falls off a ladder and sprains their wrist, they continue to work for a further 2 days before being absent from work for 2 weeks as a result of the incident.
• A member of staff was walking into work, whilst on Trust premises they tripped and fell injuring their leg and was subsequently absent from work for more than seven days.

It is important that managers clarify in the return to work interviews if an absence is ‘out of or in connection with work’, and if it falls under RIDDOR. Where an absence does fall under RIDDOR the manager should ensure the incident is reported to the HSE.

Incidents to patients and members of the public are reportable where they result from an accident arising ‘out of or in connection with work’, and it:

• Results in them being taken from the premises where the accident occurred directly to a hospital for treatment*, or
• Happens at a hospital and involves a specified injury.
• Examinations and diagnostic tests do not constitute ‘treatment’

Reportable accidents

• A patient’s legs are scalded by hot bath water which requires further hospital treatment. The patient was vulnerable and adequate precautions were not taken.
• A patient receives a fractured arm when their arm becomes trapped in a bed rail.
• A visitor to the hospital is struck on the head by a car park barrier and receives a specified injury that requires hospital attention.

Not reportable accidents

• A patient or visitor is injured by an act of physical violence from another patient.
• A patient receives a healthcare-associated infection while receiving treatment in hospital. Hospital associated infections acquired by patients are not reportable under RIDDOR.
• A patient admitted to hospital for treatment contracts Legionnaires’ disease in hospital. This is not reportable because it resulted from poor maintenance and not an accident.

The requirement to report deaths and injuries under RIDDOR does not apply where the injury occurred directly from the conduct of any operation, any examination or other medical supervision of a registered medical practitioner (RMP) or registered dentist.
The supervision does not need to be direct for the exemption to apply – it is sufficient that the procedure being carried out was laid down by an RMP.

Reportable

• A patient suffering a serious injury as a result of a power failure during an operation (not caused by the conduct of the operation).  

Not reportable

• A patient known to be allergic to penicillin is nevertheless given a penicillin-based drug under the supervision of an RMP and subsequently dies.

Although clinical decisions are not covered under RIDDOR, where there are concerns about professional misconduct of an individual, these should be raised with the appropriate professional body.

BTHFT must report all diseases specified under RIDDOR that occurred ‘out of or in connection with work’, examples of reportable diseases are:

• A nurse contracts active pulmonary TB after nursing a patient with the condition
• A laboratory worker suffers from typhoid after working with specimens containing typhoid.
• A healthcare assistant sustains a needlestick injury from a Hep B positive patient and they subsequently become hep B positive.
• A surgeon suffers dermatitis associated with wearing latex gloves during surgery.
• A maintenance worker contracts Legionnaires’ disease after working on the hot water system.

Dangerous occurrence

BTHFT must report all dangerous occurrences specified under RIDDOR that occurred ‘out of or in connection with work’, example dangerous occurrences are:

• A patient hoist collapses or overturns.
• A container of a TB culture is broken and releases its contents.
• A cleaner suffers a needlestick injury from a needle and syringe known to contain HIV positive blood, but does not contract HIV.

Example of incidents that are not dangerous occurrences:

• A lifting sling fails during a lift. You don’t need to report failures of lifting accessories, i.e. the sling.
• A community nurse suffers a needlestick injury and the source of the sharp cannot be traced.

For further advice and assistance on RIDDOR please contact Non-Clinical Risk
For further advice and assistance on Reportable diseases to staff, please contact the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Department. Telephone: 01274 364171