Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries

Reporting accidents, incidents and diseases
Health and Safety
Executive
456 Employers, the self-employed, and anyone in control of work premises have
legal duties under the RIDDOR Regulations 60 to record and report some workrelated
accidents by the quickest means possible. These include:
n
n
n
n
n
n
deaths;
major injuries;
over-three-day injuries – where an employee or self-employed person is unable
to perform their normal work for more than three consecutive days;
injuries to members of the public or people not at work where they are taken
from the scene of an accident to hospital;
some work-related diseases including occupational asthma arising from
exposure to isocyanates, hand-arm vibration syndrome, and occupational
dermatitis;
dangerous occurrences (near misses), including the collapse of lifts and hoists,
and the escape of any substance in a quantity sufficient to cause death, major
injury or damage to health.
457 RIDDOR applies to all work activities but not all incidents are reportable. Call
the Incident Contact Centre (ICC) on 0845 300 9923 and they will take details if it
is reportable. You can also contact them online at www.hse.gov.uk/riddor. Copies
of submitted RIDDOR forms are sent to employers/dutyholders and any errors or
omissions can be corrected.
458 Details of all accidents can be kept in an accident book, such as HSE’s
Accident book (BI 510). 63
Special considerations
459 Children below the minimum school leaving age (MSLA) must not be
employed in MVR etc except when on work experience schemes approved by
the local authority, or the governing body of an independent school. There are
also restrictions on the part-time employment of children in other work, such as
car washing and working in shops attached to garages. Employers must let the
parents/carers of any children below the MSLA know the key findings of the risk
assessment and the control measures introduced, before the child starts work or
work experience.
460 Young people are those aged below 18. As with children, employers must:
n assess risks to all young people, before they start work;
n ensure the risk assessment takes into account their psychological or physical
immaturity, inexperience, and lack of awareness of existing or potential risks;
n introduce control measures to eliminate or minimise the risks, so far as is
reasonably practicable.
461 New and expectant mothers may be at greater risk from different physical,
biological, and chemical agents, working conditions and processes. These risks
will vary depending on their health, and at different stages of their pregnancy.
Employers should ensure that workers who are, or in the future could be, new
or expectant mothers are not exposed to any significant risk and to inform them
of any hazards identified. On receiving written notification of the pregnancy, the
employer should carry out a specific risk assessment with the expectant mother,
taking into account any advice received from the woman’s doctor or midwife.
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