This page will help you:
- decide when a health and social care incident is reportable
- code your report correctly using HSE’s online RIDDOR system
Is my incident reportable under RIDDOR?
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. These Regulations require employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises to report specified workplace incidents.
In the health and social care sector there is often uncertainty over whether incidents are reportable, particularly when:
- they involve members of the public (such as patients in a hospital or residents in a care home)
- employees receive sharps injuries or suffer from work-related stress
Some incidents are not reportable under RIDDOR. However, this does not mean that the general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act do not apply.
HSE’s information sheet Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences in health and social care provides clear guidance to help you decide whether an incident is reportable or not.
For general guidance on the requirements of RIDDOR, such as who should report, how to report and when to report, please visit the HSE RIDDOR pages.
Coding health and social care RIDDOR reports
This guidance tells you how to code your reports correctly using HSE's online RIDDOR reporting system and the information provided is designed to be used in conjunction with this system.
Which industry and activity should I use?
All incidents in health and social care should be recorded on the RIDDOR system under the main industry ‘Government administrative functions, Education, Health’.
The following options will help you choose the right one for you.
Main activity – human health activities
Subactivities:
- Hospital activities
- General medical practices
- Specialist medical practices
- Dental practices
- Other
Main activity – residential care activities
Subactivities:
- Residential nursing care
- Learning, mental, substance abuse
- Elderly, disabled
- Other
Main activity – non-residential social work
Subactivities:
- Elderly, disabled
- Child day-care
- Other
Common errors
It is estimated that 30% of health and social care RIDDORs are incorrectly coded. The headings below outline common errors.
Social care activities recorded as ‘Accommodation’
Incidents involving care services provided in a person's own home, or in a care home are sometimes incorrectly recorded as ‘Accommodation’. This category should only be used where the provision of accommodation is the main work activity hotels, holiday lets, boarding houses etc). Social care should be coded using the relevant activity provided above.
Nursing home or residential care home
If the main activity in a care home involves nursing, you should code ‘Residential care activities/Residential nursing care’.
If the main activity in a care home does not involve nursing care, you should code ‘Residential care activities/Elderly, disabled’.
If both are provided, select ‘Residential care activities/Residential nursing care’, unless the nursing care is minimal.
Incidents in a patient or service user's own home
If an incident occurs in the home of a patient or service user, the coding should be chosen according to the work being done by the injured person.
A community nurse injured while assisting a patient out of bed in their own home would be ‘Human health activities/Other’. A home carer suffering the same injury would be coded ‘Non-residential social work/Elderly, disabled’. The same categories should also be used if the injury was sustained by the patient or service user rather than the nurse or carer.
The main activity when service users are on day trips or outings
Confusion arises over what is the main activity; the provision of care, or the activity of the site being visited. In most cases, the main activity will be classed according to the work ongoing at the site at the time of the incident.
If a disabled child is injured on a fairground ride during an outing organised by their care home, the main activity should be recorded as ‘Fairground activities’ if the incident was not directly related to the care or supervision of the child.
If, however, the child choked while eating lunch with their care home party during a fairground trip, this should be recorded as ‘Non-residential social work/Child day-care’.
Education activities recorded as ‘Child day-care’
Education is not classed as social work, so incidents involving pupils at nursery schools or any other 'school' should not use this category.
Ambulance services recorded as ‘Personal service activities’
Ambulance services should be recorded as ‘Human health activities/Other’.