Health and Safety for Landbased Industries Session 5

This resource is suitable to support Level 2 Agriculture courses.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.

Aims of the session

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Describe what is meant by RIDDOR
• Explain the Regulations that came in force in 1995 and updated in 2013
• Evaluate the role RIDDOR has in ensuring safety
• Give examples of incidences that are covered by RIDDOR

What is RIDDOR?

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations of 1995, which first came into force on April 1st 1996.

New reporting procedures came into effect in April 2001.

However...

RIDDOR 2013 replaces earlier regulations and the intention is to simplify the reporting of accidents etc...

What are the main changes in RIDDOR 2013?

The main changes are to simplify the reporting requirements in the following areas:

• the classification of 'major injuries' to workers is being replaced with a shorter list of 'specified injuries'.
• the existing schedule detailing 47 types of industrial disease is being replaced with eight categories of reportable work-related illness.
• fewer types of 'dangerous occurrence' require reporting.

Who must report incidences?

Employers, self-employed and people in control of work premise are required, by law, to conform to RIDDOR.

What is specific to the self-employed?

If you are self-employed and are working at someone else’s work premises, and sustain a major or over 3-day injury, it is the responsibility of the other person to report the occurrence.

On your own premises, it is your responsibility to report any work-related injury, or get some else to report it on your behalf.

Why must you report incidences?

Accidents and work-related diseases which occur in the workplace need to be reported for the following reasons:

• It’s a legal requirement
• For Health and Safety statistics
• For investigation where necessary

What must be reported under RIDDOR regulations?

• Death
• Death of an employee, self-employed person or a member of the public.
• Major injury (now includes results of physical violence)
• Fractures (not fingers, thumbs or toes)
• Amputation

Other injuries and occurrences to be reported:

• Dislocation of shoulder, hip, knee or spine.
• Loss of sight or Injury to eye.
• Electric shock or burn leading to unconsciousness or admittance to hospital for more that 24 hours.
• Unconsciousness caused by asphyxiation, or exposure to harmful substances.
• Acute illness requiring medical treatment or loss of consciousness as a result of absorption of substances.
• Acute illness as a result of exposure to toxins, or infected materials.
• Member of public being taken to hospital.

Over a 3-day injury

This is described as an injury, which is not major, but results in the injured person being unable to work for a period over more than 3 days.

Occupational Diseases

Diseases associated with the agricultural industry which occur whilst working are called ‘Occupational diseases’.

Examples:

Conditions due to the physical demands of work:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome – resulting from work involving the use of hand-held vibrating tools.
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome – resulting from the use of chain saws, brush cutters.

Diseases caused by biological organisms on the farm

• Leptospirosis – working in places which are likely to be infested by rats, work involving contact with bovine animals.
• Lyme disease – work involving exposure to ticks.
• Tetanus – contact with soil likely to be contaminated by animals.
• Orf – contact with sheep or goats.
• Ringworm – contact with cattle or infected equipment.

Conditions caused by substances on the farm

Poisoning due to exposure or drinking:

• pesticides
• Insecticides
• Herbicides

Skin cancer - Due to exposure to mineral oils.

Occupational dermatitis

This can occur when there is daily or frequent exposure to strong acids or alkalis e.g. dairy chemicals.

This usually occurs when no PPE has been used.

Moulds and microscopic fungi

Breathing in moulds and microscopic fungi from old hay or rotting silage could cause the condition called ‘Farmers Lung’.

What is a dangerous occurrence?

This is where something serious occurs which could have caused death or major injury.

Overhead power lines

Tractors,Telescopic Handlers or JCB’s or equipment such as slurry stirrers, hedgecutters or arable sprayer booms, making contact with overhead power lines.

Faulty electrical equipment

Electrical short circuit causing fire or explosion.

Who do you report to?

You must inform the Health and Safety Executive.

This information was taken from the HSE website and was correct as of 1st February 2022.

Online

Go to www.hse.gov.uk/riddor and complete the appropriate online report form.

The form will then be submitted directly to the RIDDOR database.

You will receive a copy for your records.

Telephone

All incidents can be reported online but a telephone service remains for reporting fatal and specified injuries only. Call the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 9923.

When should I report an incident?

Death or major injury

Immediately preferably filling in the online form. Send in a report within 10 days.

Over 3-day injury

You do not have to report over-three-day injuries, unless the incapacitation period goes on to exceed seven days. If you are an employer who has to keep an accident book, the record you make in this will be enough.

Over 7-day injury

For accidents resulting in the over-seven-day incapacitation of a worker, you must notify the enforcing authority within 15 days of the incident, using the appropriate online form.

When should I report a disease or a dangerous occurrence?

Both these should be done as soon as the responsible person receives a diagnosis, using the appropriate online form.

What RIDDOR records does a farm business need to keep?

To comply with RIDDOR 95 the employer needs to provide an accident book where employees are able to log any accident which occurs to them in the workplace.

Information recorded should include the date, time and place of the event, personal details of those involved and a brief description of the event or disease.

Records can be paper based or held on a computer.

Accident books must be kept for a period of 3 years from the date of the last entry

Task: Reporting an incident

You are required to report an accident in 2 different ways.

1. As an employee - You are Selwyn Jones, the cowman, who called the emergency services. You are filling in the accident book on behalf of the injured Llewellyn Davies.

2. As an employer - You are Gethin Mathias the employer and need to report the accident to the HSE using a copy of the online form. report form.

Accident Scenario

Monday 12th April 2022

Ystrad Dewi Farm, Carmarthen, SA33 12XX. Tel Number: 012XX 5678XXX

Employer: Mr Gethin Mathias

Employee: Llewellyn Davies, 52 years old of The Cottage, Ystrad Dewi Farm

Llewellyn was ploughing Parc y Ffordd when, towards the end of the afternoon (3.33pm), at the furthest, steepest, part of the field, the tractor overturned when the plough was lifted out of the ground.

Llewellyn was thrown out of an open side door and his legs were trapped under the back wheel of the tractor.

Selwyn Jones, the cowman, was bringing cows in for milking and witnessed the accident. He quickly went to the scene and called the emergency services; Llewellyn was taken to hospital having broken both legs.

Summary

At the end of this session, you can now:

• Describe what is meant by RIDDOR
• Explain the Regulations that came in force in 1995 and updated in 2013
• Evaluate the role RIDDOR has in ensuring safety on a farm
• Give examples of incidences that are covered by RIDDOR