Reporting Accidents
The employer must notify, normally by telephone, the local health and safety enforcement authority (the Health and Safety Executive or the local authority's Environmental Health Department, depending on the type of workplace) if:
1. Anybody dies, receives a major injury or is seriously affected by events such as electric shock or poisoning; or2. There is a dangerous occurrence, for example a fire or explosion which stops work for more than 24 hours or an overturned crane.
The employer must confirm his notification in writing, on Form 2508 within seven days of the incident.
The employer must report, using Form 2508, within seven days any injury that keeps an employee off work (or unable to do their normal job) for more than seven days.
The employer must also report, using Form 2508A, certain diseases suffered by workers who do specified jobs. He must report such cases as soon as possible on learning about the illness.
If the employer supplies, fills or imports flammable gas in reusable containers, he must notify the Health and Safety Executive immediately of any death or injury connected with the gas supplied and confirm the notification with a report on form F2508 within 14 days.
In addition to having arrangements to ensure his reporting duties are carried out, the employer needs to have accident and incident investigation arrangements. Such investigations are an important means for learning from experience and identifying what changes the employer needs to make for improving health and safety precautions and management.