As an employer there is a legal requirement to report certain accidents under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). This system must only be used by employers or their representatives.
Employees or members of the public can report minor accidents (that fall outside of the scope of RIDDOR) or matters of concern (practices that may lead to injury or ill-health) or Reportable Incidents that the employer has not reported, by making a complaint directly to us.
If you do not work in Preston you can find your Local Council using the Direct Gov Search Engine.
The employer or responsible persons should report an incident using the appropriate online report on the HSE website. The form will then be submitted directly to the RIDDOR database, where you will receive a copy for your records.
Report an incident using the HSE website
Employers, employees or members of the public can report incidents, injuries or concerns using our online form.
Report a health, safety or welfare at work issue
Once a report has been submitted on the RIDDOR database, the Council receives an electronic notification.
The incident is prioritised using our
. The accident table lists mandatory investigations, discretionary investigations and the expected response time.The incident is then screened taking account of the following criteria:
Exceptionally, Council may decide not to investigate where:
Investigation is a reactive process which includes all those activities carried out in response to an incident or a complaint to:
An investigation may for:
Sometimes the Council will investigate alongside other agencies such as the HSE, the Police, Fire Authority, Care Standards Commission or Ofstead.
During the course of an investigation an Inspector may use a range of powers at their disposal to ensure that a) there is no immediate risks to employees or other persons and b) Gather evidence, to ensure the accident cannot be repeated, and in some circumstances take further enforcement action.
Powers of Inspectors are extensive and are derived from the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, for example they may:
Inspectors must have regard to the Environmental Health Enforcement Policy and the HSE's Enforcement Management Model when using their powers.
We do not, and cannot make a business compensate an employee or other person for an injury arising from the work activity of that business.
The role and function of the Health and Safety Team is to identify breaches in legislation and take the appropriate enforcement action.
Even if a case goes to court any fine and costs do not go to the victims of the accident, although on some occasions the courts can award some damages.
You need to make a civil claim for damages against your employer/business that caused your injuries.
If you wish to make a claim you should contact a solicitor, Find a solicitor may give you a starting point.
The Law Society will be able to put you in touch with a specialist solicitor who may be able to help you claim.