Guidance: Accident Reporting

GUIDANCE

This guidance note discusses the requirements for reporting, recording and analysing work-related accidents involving workers and members of the public in the leisure environment.  

 

What is an accident? 

An accident is a "separate, identifiable, unintended incident that causes physical injury." Not all accidents are reportable. The accident must be work-related and result in a reportable injury. 

 

What guidance applies to accident management? 

UK - England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

• EN 15288-2:2018. Swimming pools for public use. Part 2 safety requirements for operation. 
• ISO 45001:2018. Occupational health and safety management systems. Requirements with guidance for use. 
• ISO 22483:2020. Tourism and related services. Hotels - service requirements. 

England, Wales and Scotland

• HSE. 2013. Reporting accidents and incidents at work. A brief guide to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. INDG453, revision 1. 
• HSE. 2018. Health and safety in swimming pools. HSG179, 4th edition. 
• HSE. 2015. Injury frequency rates. Revision 1. 

Northern Ireland

• HSENI. 2022. Report an incident. 
• HSENI. 2018. RIDDOR (NI) 1997 booklet. 
• HSENI. 1998. Guidance on the regulations. 

 

Who is the responsible person? 

This is a factual issue, determined according to the circumstances. As an example, it could be the person prescribed in your procedures, the most senior person on site, or the person who is responsible for safety at the site.

 

Do I need to record and analyse my accident trends? 

The position on record keeping is the same across the UK. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 requires that: 

• Records of reportable incidents, reportable diagnoses, and injury to a person at work for more than three consecutive days (excluding the day of the accident) must be kept as a record (regulation 12(1)). 
• Records must be kept for at least three years. 

ISO 45001:2018, a global standard for occupational health and safety management systems, requires that:

• Organizations retain documented information as evidence of the nature of incidents and any subsequent actions taken, and the results of any action or corrective action and their effectiveness (clause 10.2).
• Top management shall review information on OH&S [occupational health and safety] performance, including trends in incidents and corrective actions (clause 9.3).
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EN15288-2:2018, managing occupational health and safety in swimming pools, requires that:

• Procedures for recording incidents and accidents shall state that every incident which requires first aid, an emergency response, or action to prevent an emergency shall be recorded in a log in sufficient detail to allow subsequent analysis (clause 7.7.14).
• Procedures shall also state that a periodic review of all incidents shall be formally executed at least once per year and after every major incident to define effective corrective/preventative action (clause 7.7.14).

 

When is an incident to a worker reportable? 

Worker fatalities arising from accidents are reportable. 

An incident is reportable as a specified injury where it involves a worker and results in one or more of the following options: 

• Any bone fracture diagnosed by a registered medical practitioner, other than to a finger, thumb or toe;
• Amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe;
• Any injury diagnosed by a registered medical practitioner as being likely to cause permanent blinding or reduction in sight in one or both eyes;
• Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs in the chest or abdomen;
• Any burn injury (including scalding) which:
  • Covers more than 10% of the whole body’s total surface area; or
  • Causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs;
• Any degree of scalping requiring hospital treatment
• Loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia; or
• Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which:
  • Leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness; or
  • Requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours. 

In Northern Ireland, the term major injury is still used. All of the above categories are included, plus a few additional categories: 

• Chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye.
• Dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine.
• Injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
• Unconsciousness is caused by asphyxia or exposure to a 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.
• Acute illness requires medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted from exposure to a biological agent or its toxins or infected material.
• Any other injury leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or unconsciousness, requiring resuscitation, or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.

An injury which results in seven or more days of being unable to perform their normal duties at work (excluding the day of the accident) is reportable. In Northern Ireland, it is after three or more days.  

 

When is an accident involving a member of the public reportable? 

An accident involving a member of the public is reportable if it results in a fatality or the person is taken from the site directly to the hospital for treatment of the injury.

 

Is a drowning reportable? 

If it results in:

• A specified/major injury or fatality of a worker, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A fatality of a member of the public or a need to attend the hospital directly from the site, then it is a reportable injury. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker requiring resuscitation, then it is a major injury. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker receiving medical treatment, then it is a major injury. 

A water incident, such as drowning, is reportable if it results in a fatality or the person is taken from the site directly to the hospital for treatment of the injury.

In Northern Ireland, requiring resuscitation is also classified as a major incident and is reportable. 

 

Is the release of toxic gas from the plant room reportable? 

If it results in:

• A specified/major injury or fatality of a worker, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A fatality of a member of the public or a need to attend the hospital directly from the site, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A worker losing consciousness because of exposure to toxic gas, then it is reportable as a specified/major injury. 
• A release, or potential release, which was likely to cause severe human infection or illness, then it is reportable as a dangerous occurrence. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker requiring resuscitation, then it is a major injury. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker receiving medical treatment, then it is a major injury. 

 

Is a suspected or confirmed infection of legionnaire's disease reportable? 

If it results in:

• A specified injury or a fatality to a worker, then it is reportable as a specified/major injury. 
• A fatality of a member of the public or a need to attend the hospital directly from the site, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A suspicion that the infection likely arose from your premises, then it is reportable as an occupational disease. 
• A worker receiving a diagnosis of legionnaire's disease is reportable as an occupational disease. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker receiving medical treatment, then it is a major injury. 

 

Is a fire reportable? 

If it results in: 

• A specified injury or a fatality to a worker, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A fatality of a member of the public or a need to attend the hospital directly from the site, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A worker or member of the public requires first aid or medical treatment, it is reportable as a dangerous occurrence.
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker requiring resuscitation, then it is a major injury. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker receiving medical treatment, then it is a major injury. 

 

Is a slip or trip reportable? 

If it results in: 

• A specified injury or a fatality to a worker, then it is a reportable injury. 
• A fatality of a member of the public or a need to attend the hospital directly from the site, then it is a reportable injury. 
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker requiring resuscitation, then it is a major injury.  
• [Northern Ireland Only] A worker receiving medical treatment, then it is a major injury. 

 

Citation. Jacklin, D. 2022. Guidance on accident reporting. Water Incident Research Hub, 3 September; updated 23 September.