Accident Form Template for RIDDOR

Kristin Guzder

March 16, 2020

3 min read

Sometimes accidents do unfortunately happen, despite preventative measures being put in place to manage the risks to health and safety. In environments such as workplaces and schools, you need to make sure that that you keep a record of any accidents or incidents. Not only is it a legal requirement to do so for certain occurrences under RIDDOR, it also enables you to assess how and why it happened. Knowing this, you can help to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

An accident form template can help you to ensure you keep a record of all the necessary information. We have created a free accident form template that you can use to record any incidents at your place of work.

Why Do I Need an Accident Form?

Accident forms are necessary for storing evidence of an incident which has taken place. They should be used in all workplaces but are also beneficial for schools, sport and activity clubs and at volunteering events.

Even if you don’t have to report an incident under RIDDOR, it is still important that you make and retain a record of it. It is a legal requirement for companies with more than ten employees to keep an accident book. Often, a responsible person will be nominated and it will be their job to ensure reported incidents are recorded in the book. Your place of work or organisation may have a physical accident book, or may keep them stored in a digital format.

Accident Scenario

If a child is using a swing in the school playground and it breaks, causing them to fall and break their arm, this will need recording and reporting. This is because in this scenario the child has had to go to hospital due to their injury that resulted from poor maintenance of the swing set. If, instead, the child had jumped from the swing and fallen and broken their wrist as a result, the incident would not need to be reported under RIDDOR. This injury is a result of the child’s decision to use the swings not for their intended use. As a result, the accident was not caused by anything related to how the school operates. You can find out more about what RIDDOR is and what responsibilities you may have in our article, ‘What is RIDDOR & Why is it Important?’.

What Should I Do with Accident Forms?

It is likely that you, or someone else, will need to refer to the accident form at a later date. The information recorded may be required to by the HSE if they ask to see it. One of the main purposes of an accident form is to help to prevent accidents from happening in the future. Therefore, you and your organisation need to reflect on past accidents in order to determine whether anything could have been done to avoid it. For example, an accident could have been the result of inadequate training or due to faulty equipment.

By identifying the main cause, or contributing factor, you will be able to put measures in place to ensure similar accidents don’t happen. This depends on the incident but may involve altering work practices to a safer, more suitable method. Alternatively, you may determine that employees have a poor understanding of health and safety risks. Providing all employees with sufficient training ensures they are aware of the risks and how to manage them. Further, you will be able to collate similar accidents and to see which may be becoming regular occurrences.

Free Accident Form Template

We have created a free accident form template that is suitable for use in any public environment. This includes all workplaces, schools, clubs or at volunteering events. Some of the information is only applicable to certain circumstances, such as if a child is involved in an accident. You can complete this template online, or print it off to do by hand if you wish. Whatever form it is in, you must keep a copy of accident reports at your workplace.