How to Report Health and Safety Concerns

Knowing how to report health and safety concerns at a business is crucial for the welfare of not only yourself, but other employees, too. Often, the required HSE health and safety law poster isn’t enough to prevent accidents from happening in the workplace, which can make them incredibly difficult to manage and resolve.  

Unfortunately, there are thousands of incidents every year in the UK, and every workplace will be familiar with the most common: falls, slips, and trips on a single level (33%), lifting, carrying, and handling (18%), and being hit by moving objects (10%). However common or uncommon, though, all incidents need to be reported, and most incidents are self-reported. 

To learn how to report health and safety concerns, what might be classed as health and safety issues, and the importance of safety in the workplace, keep reading. 

What Are Classed as Health and Safety Concerns?

General health and safety is a very broad term, and can encompass a wide variety of cases and situations. Every workplace will be different, which means that it will have its own unique challenges to face and overcome. Unfortunately, this also means that there could be a wide variety of health and safety concerns for you to look out for. 

Below are some common health and safety concerns that can occur in businesses of any size:

• Falls, trips, and slips
• Air conditioning, lighting, and temperature 
• Hazardous substances and harmful surroundings (e.g. asbestos)
• Sound exposure and noise
• Health and safety revolving around computers and other DSE (display screen equipment)
• Handling healthy equipment, tools, or machinery 
• Manual handling
• Fire safety 
• Working in confined spaces
• Vibrations 
• Working at heights 
• PPE (personal protective equipment) 

The Importance of Health and Safety in the Workplace

Health and safety is crucial in any workplace, no matter the type. From fire safety signs and construction site signs to workplace safety signs and general safety, there are legal obligations for employers and employees alike. 

Things like information signs and first aid posters are critical for all workplaces. Depending on the location, first aid boxes might contain different equipment, and first aid posters may vary to a degree. However, things like training and first aid posters are a legal requirement in workplaces – as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Understanding RIDDOR

RIDDOR stands for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. This is the piece of legislation that legally obliged employers to report serious and fatal workplace injuries to the relevant authorities. It also states that a ‘responsible person’ (defined by the HSE, which includes supervisors, managers, and employers), have the legal obligation to make sure that RIDDOR is followed in the workplace. 

The below incidents must be reported under RIDDOR:

• Any accidents that result in someone’s death
• Any accidents that result in specified injuries (e.g. loss of sight, amputation)
• An incapacitation of a worker that is over seven days
• Non-fatal accidents to non-workers that require hospital treatment
• Occupational diseases
• Specified dangerous occurrences or near-miss events
• Gas incidents 

RIDDOR is reserved for more serious workplace incidents, but it’s important to remember that all incidents should be reported to HSE, even if they are minor. If you need to report under RIDDOR, please submit it under this HSE RIDDOR report link.

When Should Workplace Incidents be Reported?

RIDDOR reports need to be made to the enforcing authority within 10 days of the incident occurring. However, the general rule for all HSE concerns and incidents is that they should be reported as soon as possible to the appropriate authority. 

You should always tell your employer about these concerns so that changes can be made. In some cases, an employer may need to carry out a full health and safety assessment of the premises to properly investigate the depth of the issue, find additional health and safety problems, and look for ways to resolve them to ensure the safety of all employees.   

How to Report Health and Safety Concerns

If you want to know how to report health and safety concerns, you can do it through the HSE gov link. On the website, you will be told if you should use this particular service or go somewhere else, and it will also explain how your information will be used.

After you go to the page and scroll down, there will be a green ‘Start now’ button, where you can begin the process of reporting the issue to HSE. 

Alternatively, you can get help if you can’t report the issue online using the information provided, such as the telephone numbers. 

When reporting concerns to HSE, you will be asked about the following:

• Whether you have contacted HSE before
• If you are getting in touch about COVID-19
• The sector that the issue relates to 
• Which part of the UK the issue is happening
• Your name, email address, and phone number to be contacted on 
• How you want HSE to react (e.g. investigate the problem)
• If HSE can get in touch with you for further information 
• If there’s a risk of death, injury, or sickness, and who could be at risk
• Length of time the issue has gone on for, and how long it may continue 
• The location’s postcode, address, and other information on the location 
• Whether you know the organisation responsible for the activity 
• Whether you know who is responsible for the location 
• That the exact issue is
• Whether you have evidence (e.g. photos, videos) and upload it, describing what it indicates 
• How you are tied to the problem
• Whether there is anything aggressive at the location, including animals and people

If more information is needed, HSE will get back to you to ask for more information within three working days. They aim to get in touch with you via email within three weeks or 15 working days to let you know of the outcome of your report.

Signs That Health and Safety Training is Needed

Below are some common signs that suggest that health and safety training is desperately needed in a workplace. Some of these might be obvious, while others could be the last thing you think of:

1. There are concerns of sentences, fines, and prosecution – a company that follows the rules for HSE has nothing to worry about, and shouldn’t be concerned about receiving files and being prosecuted.
2. No one knows who is responsible for health and safety – everyone in a workplace should know who is responsible for HSE training because they should be seeing them for regular training sessions. 
3. There are a lot of work-related injuries – if a lot of injuries are happening in the workplace, this is an obvious sign that health and safety training is needed.
4. There are no recorded accidents at work – there will always be workplace incidents, and if there are none in the logbook, it’s because they just aren’t being reported like they should be.
5. There are lots of manual handling injuries – training is required to learn how much manual handling should be done, how to do it properly, and the limitations.
6. Employees work with harmful substances – anyone working with harmful substances needs to be trained to handle them properly and deal with potential dangers.
7. There is a risk of life-threatening incidents – anyone working in potentially dangerous situations needs to know how to handle them and minimise risk.
8. Some injuries are not taken seriously – smaller injuries may not be taken seriously when they should be. For example, even small cuts can lead to sepsis.
9. The budget doesn’t allow for health and safety training – training and health and safety always needs to be factored into the budget. Qualifications don’t expire for this, either. 
10. It’s common for employees to experience ill health due to work – prevention is better than cure, and training will help to identify the hazards that contribute to ill health in the workplace.
11. No one communicates regarding hazards – everyone in a workplace should know about the hazards and how to deal with them.
12. There are rising cases of workplace depression, anxiety, and stress – a workplace should not be stress-inducing and cause things like depression and anxiety. If it is, something is going wrong and training is needed.

Let Us Make a Lasting Impression

You need to know how to report health and safety concerns, no matter what kind of area you work in. Luckily, the process is straightforward and everything can be done online via the government website. 

Knowing what to look out for in a business can also be helpful in terms of health and safety, and making sure that all the necessary measures are taken can save lives.