Why should injuries in the workplace be reported

The investigation should determine how the accident happened and whether it was preventable. If the incident was avoidable then your investigation should conclude with a suggestion of measures to be put in place to avoid future accidents. It is a legal requirement for companies with more than ten employees to keep an accident book , and this needs to contain all the details of an incident that you would report to RIDDOR.

Not only is this necessary for abiding by the law, but also for aiding your health and safety management. Records of past incidents offer insight into where risks are high in the business and how employers can reduce these risks. During risk assessments, this information is useful for identifying hazards and assessing existing controls. You must keep records for a minimum of three years , although good practice recommends keeping them for six in case of any legal issues that require them being presented.

Records of RIDDOR incidents — and any incidents kept in the accident book for that matter — contain personal information and so must be stored confidentially. If you want to learn more about how to comply with the essential principles of the Data Protection Act, you can find our Data Protection training, here. It is important that you accurately report to the HSE and keep records of incidents for your company to assess.

This will help to prevent future accidents from happening in the workplace. Skip to content. Incidents must fall into one of the following categories: Fatal and non-fatal injuries. Investigating an accident can also help bring your attention to the rare case in which an employee is committing fraud. Better contact with medical providers. When you learn about work injuries before your employees seek treatment, you have the chance to be proactive in working with medical providers.

You can give the injured employee a work ability report to be completed by the doctor so that you know which work restrictions the employee has, and you can let the doctor know you offer light-duty work. Better communication with injured employees.

Injured employees tend to seek out attorneys when they feel their livelihood is in jeopardy. One of the ways to achieve a safer workplace is to maintain a register of workplace incidents and to investigate incidents which do occur to prevent reoccurrence.

The incident register should include all details of the incident including the date, time, location, people involved and a description of how the incident occurred. However, maintaining a workplace incident register requires employees to notify their employer when an incident occurs.

Not reporting an incident or injury can have ramifications for the employee as well as the employer. WorkSafe WA require the notification of serious incidents. Failure to report these incidents to WorkSafe WA could lead to prosecution.

Incidents that must be reported include:. All injuries which occur in the workplace should be reported to a supervisor or your employer. Even if these injuries seem minor. The worker is experiencing pain but no injury has been diagnosed. The injury has not been reported to the employer.

No medical certificate or time off work or normal duties was required. The supervisor should monitor the worker in case symptoms worsen. When do I need to report an injury? A reasonable excuse for an employer not reporting the injury within eight business days may include: the employer reasonably believes the injury does not meet one or more of the criteria outlined above e.

What information does the report need to contain? Information required on the form includes: Employer insurance number WorkCover Queensland policy number or self-insurance member number.

Injury narrative—how did the injury occur? Injury date. Address where injury occurred. Details of any medical or other treatment known to employer. Has the employer made a payment for medical or other treatment to or on behalf of the worker? What happens if I do not report? What next? For more information Find out more about early intervention programs. If you have further questions, contact us on Issuing certificates of compliance Deemed to comply conditions.

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