Quick answer
Arrange prompt care and immediate safety action first, then record the facts using the appropriate system. Check separately whether a statutory accident record and a RIDDOR report are required. Keep personal information secure and use the retention rule for the particular record.
Why a useful accident entry separates facts from conclusions
A record should explain what happened without turning an early assumption into an established cause. It supports appropriate follow-up, statutory compliance where applicable and learning. HSE’s incident-investigation guidance separates gathering information, analysing causes and deciding controls.
Do not delay first aid or necessary action to protect people while a form is completed. Preserve relevant evidence where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Check the accident-record duty for the workplace
In GB, regulation 25 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 specifies covered mine, quarry and factory cases and employers normally employing ten or more people at the same time on or about the same business premises. It requires an accessible approved book or electronic means for the relevant entries.
Check the provision’s conditions rather than assuming a headcount across every location answers the question. An ordinary shared spreadsheet is not automatically an approved, suitably controlled statutory system.
For NI, HSENI’s accident-record guidance explains the separate NI book and record requirements. Smaller businesses can still benefit from a proportionate incident-recording process even where a particular book duty does not apply.
Capture a factual entry and the follow-up needed
| Information | What to check |
|---|---|
| People and event | Required identity details, date, time, place and the work being done. |
| What happened | A clear description, distinguishing direct observation from someone’s account. |
| Injury or effect | Factual information available; do not invent a diagnosis. |
| Immediate response | Care arranged, safeguards and relevant evidence or witness references. |
| Record and action ownership | Who made the entry, when, and who will check reporting and further investigation. |
This is a management check, not a replacement for the required particulars or approved format of a statutory entry.
Check reporting and retention separately
A book entry does not submit a report to the regulator. HSE’s RIDDOR record guidance explains keeping appropriate records and report-reference information.
For GB, RIDDOR regulation 12 includes recording relevant work injuries causing more than three consecutive days’ routine-work incapacity, excluding accident day. The over-seven-day reporting threshold is a separate test. NI has different RIDDOR provisions; use the NI criteria.
GB regulation 25 and RIDDOR regulation 12 each provide at least three years from the relevant entry date for their required entries. That is not a universal deletion date for every investigation, employment or insurance document.
Keep personal details private and use the record to learn
Restrict access to authorised people with a legitimate need. Use suitable privacy controls for paper and digital records; do not leave previous workers’ injury details open for everyone making an entry. ICO retention guidance supports a documented purpose and retention review.
Example: a stock handler slips, and a colleague records “careless walking”. The manager replaces that assumption with the factual account, preserves the original appropriately and investigates the route, floor condition and work arrangements. The statutory record, reporting decision and corrective action remain linked but distinct.
Next steps
Check the approved recording arrangement, privacy controls and reporting owner. Review a recent entry for factual clarity and follow-up, then document the applicable retention rules for each record type.
Relevant next resource
Level 3 Health & Safety in the Workplace
The current Level 3 Health and Safety course includes incident investigation and corrective action for managers; the statutory recording system still needs its own arrangements.
From £43.50 GBP
Available
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