The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (aka RIDDOR) requires workplaces to record work related dangerous incidents, injuries, illnesses and deaths. In this article we are going to be looking at how these incidents should be reported and what you should be aware of before making an industrial disease claim.
Records
Companies must make a record of an incident immediately, with fully written reports produced within 10 days (or 15 days in the case of injuries that last over seven days). If your business does not write these incidents down, they are breaking the law.
Diseases
An individual or company should report any potential risk. Potential workplace diseases can include:
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (People most at risk are those using percussive/vibrating tools)
• Hand/forearm cramp (Often caused by repetitive movements)
• Occupational dermatitis (Can be caused by regular exposure to irritants)
• Occupational asthma (Can be caused by exposure to irritants, causing a flare-up of the condition)
• Tendonitis (Inflammation of tendons- can be caused by repeated lifting or constrained posture)
The best way to make sure this is recognised is to speak to a medical professional as soon as you see any symptoms of these conditions. You should then get a note from the doctor detailing the condition so that you can make a complaint to your employer in writing.
With some industrial diseases it can take years or even decades for symptoms to occur. Fortunately, if this does happen there are online forms available where you can report incidents.
Outcome
After you have reported the condition to your employer they should be willing to make adjustments in order to make sure that the working conditions are suitable and that injury or exposure to conditions can be minimised as much as possible. In the case of an employment agency they are technically responsible for the workers on their books but in practise they should be checking that any businesses they deal with conform with regulations.
If you are self employed and you are exposed to these conditions verbal diagnosis by a medical professional can be enough when reporting issues to the authorities.
If you feel that the issue was not properly reported by a company or the owner of the premises, then you may wish to discuss this with your union representative
However, if your employer disputes this then you may have to seek legal representation in order to either seek compensation if you are unable to work or to force through a change in their practises.
Find out more
If you want to know more about whether or not to make a report, what to include in it or for information about making a claim against an employer please contact us today. While it can seem complicated our specially trained team can check to ensure that reports have been properly filled in and to ensure that employers are aware of their responsibilities.
Our specialists deal with a range of issues regarding industrial illnesses so don’t hesitate to contact us and find out more.