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📋 Toolbox Talk  ·  Health & Safety

Near Misses & RIDDOR:
The Warning Before the Injury

RIDDOR 2013 and the accident book — what must be reported, by when, and why the near miss you ignore is the injury you get next month.

✅ Verified August 2026📚 HSE · RIDDOR 2013🇬🇧 Applies across the UKukworkrights.co.uk
The risk

Why near misses matter

  • A near miss is an unplanned event that could have caused injury or damage but didn't — this time
  • The same hazard that produced a near miss is still there tomorrow
  • Near misses are free information — the only warning you get that costs nobody an injury
  • Under-reporting is the norm: most workplaces capture a fraction of what actually happens
  • The most common reasons people don't report are fear of blame, paperwork, and believing nothing will change
  • A workplace where near misses are never reported is not a safe one — it is a blind one

⚠ Blame kills reporting

If reporting a near miss gets someone disciplined, reporting stops within weeks and the organisation loses its early warning system entirely. The purpose is to find the hazard, not the person.
The law

What must be reported under RIDDOR

  • Deaths and specified injuries — including fractures other than to fingers, thumbs and toes, amputations, loss of sight, crush injuries, serious burns and scalpings
  • Over-seven-day injuries — where a worker is incapacitated for more than seven consecutive days, reported within 15 days
  • Occupational diseases — including carpal tunnel syndrome, hand-arm vibration syndrome, occupational dermatitis, asthma and tendonitis, where diagnosed and linked to work
  • Dangerous occurrences — specified near-miss events such as scaffold collapse, lifting equipment failure or accidental gas release
  • Gas incidents and certain incidents involving members of the public
  • Reporting is the responsible person's duty — usually the employer, not the injured worker
  • There is also a separate duty to keep an accident book and record over-three-day injuries

Seven days and three days are different things

Over-seven-day injuries must be reported to HSE. Over-three-day injuries must be recorded but not reported. Both counts exclude the day of the accident itself.
Your rights

Reporting and protection

  • To have your injury recorded in the accident book — and to record it yourself if needed
  • To report concerns without suffering detriment — Employment Rights Act 1996 s.44
  • Protection from dismissal for raising health and safety concerns is a day-one right with no qualifying period — s.100
  • Raising serious safety concerns may also be a protected disclosure under whistleblowing law
  • You can report directly to HSE if your employer will not — 0300 003 1747 or through the HSE website
  • An accident book entry can matter later for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or a personal injury claim

Write it down while it's fresh

Record what happened, when, who was there and what you were doing. Memory fades and staff move on. A contemporaneous note is worth far more than a recollection a year later.
Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Do near misses have to be reported to HSE?
Most do not — but certain specified near-miss events, called dangerous occurrences, must be reported under RIDDOR. Examples include scaffold collapse, failure of lifting equipment, and accidental release of a substance that could cause injury. All near misses should still be reported internally so the hazard can be fixed.
What if my employer refuses to record my injury?
You are entitled to have an accident recorded. Make your own written record with the date, time, what happened and any witnesses, and keep a copy. You can report the matter to HSE on 0300 003 1747. Being treated badly for reporting an injury is unlawful detriment.
How long do I have to report an over-seven-day injury?
The responsible person must report it to HSE within 15 days of the accident. The seven-day count starts the day after the accident and includes days the person would not normally have worked, such as weekends.
For whoever runs this talk

Delivery notes & attendance record

Suggested length: 10 minutes. A toolbox talk is a short briefing on one hazard, given by a supervisor to the crew doing the work.

Before you start

The barrier to near-miss reporting is almost always culture, not knowledge. If people think reporting gets someone in trouble, they stop. Say plainly that the purpose is to find the hazard, not the culprit, and mean it.

Questions to ask the team
  1. What near miss have you had in the last month that you didn't report?
  2. What stopped you reporting it?
  3. Do you know where the accident book is and who reports under RIDDOR?
  4. Has anything we reported actually changed as a result?
The law behind this talk

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR); Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 (accident book); Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2

Employers must give workers comprehensible information, instruction and training on the risks they face — Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 s.2(2)(c) and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 reg. 10. Keep the record below as evidence that you did.

Attendance record
TopicNear Misses & RIDDOR: The Warning Before the Injury
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Use the Print handout button to print this record. General guidance only, not legal advice. This toolbox talk is generic material and is not a substitute for a suitable and sufficient risk assessment by a competent person. Employers remain responsible for their duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Free H&S guidance

Near Misses & RIDDOR
free guidance

Get plain-English guidance on your rights and your employer's legal duties.

HSE Infoline
0300 003 1747
hse.gov.uk
ACAS
0300 123 1100
acas.org.uk
Citizens Advice
0800 144 8848
citizensadvice.org.uk
UK Work Rights
Near Misses & RIDDOR
ukworkrights.co.uk/toolbox-nearmiss.html

General guidance only — not legal advice · Verified August 2026 · © UK Work Rights Ltd · Company No. 17228507 · ICO registered · Registered office: 71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ  ·  hello@ukworkrights.co.uk
Directed and published by Matt Thompson, founder
Content is produced with AI assistance and checked against primary sources including GOV.UK, ACAS and legislation.gov.uk before publication.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.