If someone is injured at work tomorrow, would you know exactly what you're legally required to record, and where? Accident book requirements catch out a surprising number of UK businesses, not because employers don't care about safety, but because the rules sit across two separate pieces of legislation that rarely get explained together. Get it wrong and you risk a weak defence in an injury claim, an HSE enquiry with no paper trail behind it, or a fine for failing to report a notifiable incident on time.
This guide sets out exactly who needs an accident book, what has to go in it, how it relates to RIDDOR reporting, and how long you need to keep the records.
Do All UK Businesses Need an Accident Book?
Not every business is legally required to keep a formal accident book, but most should have one anyway.
Under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, employers with 10 or more employees must keep a record of workplace accidents. This sits alongside your wider duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to protect employee health, safety and welfare so far as is reasonably practicable.
If you employ fewer than 10 people, the SSCPR duty technically doesn't apply to you. In practice, this exemption offers little real protection. You still have a separate and unrelated obligation to report certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive under RIDDOR, and without a consistent record of every accident, minor or serious, you have no reliable way of knowing which incidents cross that reporting threshold. Most health and safety consultants recommend every workplace keeps one regardless of headcount.
What Has to Be Recorded in an Accident Book
A compliant accident book entry should capture, at minimum:
- Full name, address and occupation of the injured person
- Date, time and location of the accident
- A description of what happened and the injury sustained
- Name and job title of whoever recorded the entry
- Whether the incident was reported under RIDDOR
Entries should be recorded as soon as possible after the event while details are fresh, and the book itself needs to be stored securely. Because accident book entries contain personal and often special category health data, employers have data protection obligations under UK GDPR, including keeping individual entries confidential from other employees rather than left on open display.
Accident Book vs RIDDOR: What's the Difference?
An accident book and RIDDOR are related but distinct obligations, and confusing the two is one of the most common compliance gaps we see.
The accident book is your internal record of every work-related accident, however minor. RIDDOR, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, is a separate legal duty to formally notify the HSE about specific, more serious categories of incident. Every RIDDOR-reportable event should also be logged in your accident book, but the reverse isn't true: the vast majority of accident book entries, a minor cut needing a plaster, a bruised knee, will never need to be reported to the HSE at all.
What Counts as a RIDDOR-Reportable Injury?
Under Regulation 4 of RIDDOR, "specified injuries" to workers must be reported. These include:
- All fractures, except to fingers, thumbs and toes
- Amputation of an arm, hand, finger, thumb, leg, foot or toe
- Any injury likely to cause permanent loss of sight, or reduced sight, in one or both eyes
- Crush injuries to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
- Any burn covering more than 10% of the body's surface area, or one that significantly damages the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs, regardless of size
- Loss of consciousness caused by a head injury or asphyxia
- Scalping requiring hospital treatment
- Injuries in an enclosed space leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness, or requiring resuscitation
Beyond specified injuries, you must also report the death of any person from a work-related accident, non-fatal accidents requiring hospital treatment to a member of the public, dangerous occurrences (near misses with serious potential), and certain occupational diseases.
How Quickly Do You Need to Report a RIDDOR Incident?
Timing depends on the type of incident. For deaths, specified injuries, non-fatal accidents to non-workers requiring hospital treatment, and dangerous occurrences, you must notify the HSE without delay, and a formal report must reach them within 10 days of the incident. Where an accident leaves a worker unable to carry out their normal duties for more than seven consecutive days, you have 15 days from the date of the accident to submit an online report. Occupational diseases should be reported as soon as you receive a diagnosis. Fatalities and specified injuries can also be phoned through to the HSE's Incident Contact Centre, but reports for other categories must be made using the online form.
How Long Should You Keep Accident Book Records?
Accident book records must be kept for at least three years from the date of the entry, in line with the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979. In practice, many businesses retain them for longer, particularly for injuries with the potential to develop into a personal injury claim, since employees typically have up to three years from the date of an accident (or from when they became aware of an injury) to bring a claim. Retaining records for longer than the legal minimum can strengthen your position if a claim is made well after the event.
RIDDOR reports submitted to the HSE are stored on HSE's own systems once filed, but you should still retain your own copy of what was reported and when, both for your records and to demonstrate compliance if asked.
Why This Matters Beyond Compliance
A properly maintained accident book isn't just paperwork for its own sake. Consistent recording gives you the data to spot patterns, a particular piece of machinery causing repeated minor injuries, a walkway that keeps catching people out, before something more serious happens. It's also your first line of evidence if an insurance claim or HSE investigation ever follows an incident, and a poorly kept or missing record can actively work against you in either scenario.
Practical Takeaways
- Keep an accident book regardless of headcount. It's a legal duty above 10 employees and good practice below it.
- Record every work-related accident promptly, however minor, including who logged it and whether it was RIDDOR-reportable.
- Know the RIDDOR thresholds: specified injuries, deaths, over-seven-day incapacitation, dangerous occurrences and certain diseases all trigger a separate report to the HSE.
- Report within the correct window: without delay and within 10 days for most incidents, within 15 days for over-seven-day incapacitation.
- Keep records for a minimum of three years, and store them securely to meet UK GDPR obligations.
Stay Compliant with MedWare
Keeping an accurate, accessible accident book is one of the simplest ways to strengthen your workplace's health and safety compliance, and it works best alongside a well-stocked first aid kit and a clear understanding of your first aider requirements. Browse our range of first aid kits and supplies, including HSE-compliant accident report books ready to keep in your workplace today. For larger sites or multi-location businesses, get in touch about a trade account for volume pricing and a tailored supply plan.