RIDDOR Policy

Aim

A RIDDOR policy for a domiciliary care agency is a legal requirement designed to ensure that certain work-related accidents, diseases, and dangerous occurrences are reported to the Health and Safety Executive.  In the health and social care sector, this policy helps identify trends, improve safety standards, and comply with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) Regulations 2013.

Policy

  • Accident recording: All agencies must maintain an accident book to record minor incidents, near misses, and serious accidents involving staff or clients.
  • Responsible person: The Registered Manager and the Nominated Individual are designated as the “responsible persons” for submitting reports.
  • Immediate escalation: Staff must report all incidents to management immediately, particularly those occurring in a clients’ home or during travel.

Reportable Incident

Under RIDDOR the following specific categories must be reported to the HSE:

  • Fatalities: Any work-related death, including those resulting from physical assaults on staff.
  • Specified injuries: Serious injuries such as fractures (excluding fingers or toes), amputations, loss of sight, or serious burns.
  • Over-seven-day injuries: Accidents where a worker is incapacitated for more than seven consecutive days (excluding the day of the accident).
  • Occupational diseases: Diagnosed conditions linked to work, such as occupational dermatitis, asthma, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Dangerous occurrences: Specified “near-miss” events with high potential for harm, such as the failure of lifting equipment (e.g., hoists).
  • Injuries to non-workers: Incidents involving clients, or the public if they are taken directly from the scene to a hospital for treatment of a work-related injury.

Reporting Deadlines

  • Fatalities and specified Injuries: Must be reported without delay.
  • Over-seven-day Injuries: Must be reported within 15 days of the incident.
  • Other incidents: Most reports should be submitted within 10 days via the HSE online reporting system.

 Regulatory Overlap

 In addition to the HSE, domiciliary care providers in England must notify the Care Quality Commission about certain serious incidents under the Duty of Candour and as outlined in the CQC Notifications Policy.

Date: Feb 2026

Version: 1 (Implementation)

Source: Croner