An accident book is a record of injuries at work. Under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, employers who normally employ 10 or more people at the same time on or about the same premises must keep one, along with factories, mines and quarries. Each entry must be kept for at least three years. It is good practice for every employer to keep one, whatever their size.
The accident book is one of the most familiar pieces of health and safety paperwork in the UK, and one of the most misunderstood. People confuse it with RIDDOR reporting, leave it in a drawer nobody can find, or fill it with entries that breach data protection law. This guide covers who needs one, what to record, how it links to RIDDOR, and how to keep the records lawfully.
What is an accident book?
An accident book is where injuries at work are written down: who was hurt, when, where, how, and what the injury was. It can be a printed book or an electronic system.
It serves two purposes. The original one, under social security law, is to give injured workers a record they can rely on if they later claim state benefits for a work injury. The second is health and safety: the entries tell you where people are getting hurt and give you the facts you need to investigate and to meet your RIDDOR record-keeping duties.
HSE publishes a standard version, the Accident book BI 510. It contains perforated record forms and is designed to help users comply with data protection law, which a plain notebook does not.
Is an accident book a legal requirement?
Yes, for many employers. Regulation 25 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 requires an accident record to be kept by:
- owners or occupiers of mines and quarries
- owners or occupiers of premises covered by the Factories Act 1961
- every employer who normally employs 10 or more people at the same time on or about the same premises in connection with a trade or business
The means of recording must be kept readily accessible, and each entry must be kept for at least three years from the date it was made. The same regulation requires the employer to take reasonable steps to investigate the circumstances of each accident reported to them, and to record any discrepancy between their findings and the particulars given.
If you have fewer than 10 people on site, the social security duty may not apply to you. You still have to record over-three-day injuries under RIDDOR (see below), and you still need a way to learn from accidents under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. In practice, an accident book is the simplest way for any business to do both.
What must be recorded in an accident book?
Schedule 4 of the 1979 Regulations lists the particulars that must be given for an accident. These are the legal minimum:
- Full name, address and occupation of the injured person
- Date and time of the accident
- Place where the accident happened
- Cause and nature of the injury
- Name, address and occupation of the person making the entry, if it is not the injured person
Source: Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, Schedule 4.
Good practice goes further. A useful entry also records:
- what the person was doing at the time
- any equipment or substance involved
- first aid given and by whom
- whether the person went to hospital or went home
- names of witnesses
- whether the incident is reportable under RIDDOR, and if so, when it was reported
Write facts, not opinions. “Slipped on spilt oil next to machine 3” is a useful entry. “Wasn’t looking where he was going” is not, and it may come back to haunt you if there is a claim.
Which accidents should go in the book?
Record every injury at work, however minor. A paper cut does not seem worth writing down, but ten paper cuts from the same guillotine tells you something.
The legal duty covers injuries to your employees. Many employers also use the same system for agency workers, contractors, visitors and members of the public, which makes sense, but those records need the same care with data protection.
Near misses do not belong in the accident book. Nobody was injured, so there is nothing to record under the social security rules. Keep them in a separate near-miss log. Our guide to near misses explains what to record and why it is worth doing.
Accident book or RIDDOR: what is the difference?
Writing an injury in the accident book does not report it to HSE. They are separate duties, and confusing them is one of the most common compliance mistakes.
| Accident book | RIDDOR | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal source | Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 | Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 |
| What is covered | Any injury at work | Deaths, specified injuries, over-seven-day injuries, injuries to non-workers taken to hospital, certain diseases, dangerous occurrences |
| Who sees it | Kept by the employer | Reported to the enforcing authority (HSE or local authority) |
| Over-three-day injuries | Recorded | Must be recorded, but not reported |
| Over-seven-day injuries | Recorded | Reported within 15 days of the accident |
| Retention | At least 3 years | Records kept at least 3 years |
Source: SI 1979/628 regulation 25; RIDDOR 2013 regulations 4 and 12; HSE INDG453.
The two link up neatly. Regulation 12 of RIDDOR requires a record of over-three-day injuries, where a worker is off or unable to do their normal work for more than three consecutive days, not counting the day of the accident. HSE’s leaflet INDG453 confirms that if you are an employer who has to keep an accident book, the entry you make in it will be enough to meet that record-keeping duty.
If the absence goes beyond seven days, you must also report it. RIDDOR requires over-seven-day injuries to be reported within 15 days of the accident. Our RIDDOR guide covers the full list of reportable incidents.
Who can fill in the accident book?
The injured person can make the entry themselves, or someone else can do it on their behalf. The 1979 Regulations allow an entry to be made by the employee or by another person acting for them.
In practice, the first aider who dealt with the injury, a supervisor or a colleague often writes it up, particularly if the injured person has gone to hospital. If someone else makes the entry, their own name, address and occupation must be recorded too. Your first aiders should know where the book is and how to complete it; reporting procedures are part of Emergency First Aid at Work training.
Make the entry as soon as possible after the accident, while details are fresh. Then make sure someone with responsibility for health and safety reviews it, decides whether it needs investigating, and checks whether RIDDOR applies.
The accident book and data protection
Accident records contain health information about named people, and the ICO lists data concerning health as special category data under UK GDPR. That has practical consequences:
- Do not use an open notebook. If every entry is visible on one page, anyone writing up a cut finger can read about a colleague’s injury from last month.
- Use a book with detachable forms or a secure electronic system. HSE’s BI 510 uses perforated forms so completed records can be removed and stored separately.
- Store completed records securely, with access limited to the people who need them, such as the health and safety lead or HR.
- Keep them for the required period, then dispose of them securely. Three years is the legal minimum. Many employers keep records longer because personal injury claims can be brought later, so set a retention period and write it into your records policy.
Electronic systems are allowed. The 1979 Regulations permit the record to be kept electronically, provided it captures the required particulars and is kept readily accessible.
Do self-employed people need an accident book?
The social security duty applies to employers, so a self-employed person working alone does not need to keep an accident book under those rules. RIDDOR still applies, though: self-employed people must report certain injuries to themselves, including over-seven-day injuries, and certain occupational diseases.
When self-employed contractors work on your premises, injuries to them should be recorded in your system, and the person in control of the premises may have RIDDOR duties. Agree the arrangements before the work starts.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a legal requirement to have an accident book?
Yes, if you normally employ 10 or more people at the same time on or about the same premises, or you run a factory, mine or quarry. This comes from the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979. Smaller employers still have to record over-three-day injuries under RIDDOR, and an accident book is the easiest way to do it.
How long do you have to keep accident book records?
At least three years from the date of the entry. This applies under both the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 and RIDDOR 2013. Many employers keep records longer because a personal injury claim can sometimes be brought more than three years after the accident.
Does writing in the accident book report the accident to HSE?
No. The accident book is kept by the employer. Reportable incidents, such as specified injuries and over-seven-day injuries, must be reported separately to the enforcing authority under RIDDOR.
Can an accident book be electronic?
Yes. The 1979 Regulations allow the record to be kept electronically, as long as it captures the required particulars and is kept readily accessible. Store it securely, because the entries contain health information.
Can I use an ordinary notebook as an accident book?
It is best avoided. A notebook shows every previous entry on open pages, which exposes other people’s health information and creates a data protection problem. Use a book with detachable forms, such as HSE’s BI 510, or a secure electronic system.
Should minor injuries go in the accident book?
Yes. Record every injury at work, however small. Minor injuries are often the early warning of a bigger problem, and an entry protects the injured person if the injury turns out to be more serious than it first seemed.
Do near misses go in the accident book?
No. The accident book is for injuries. Record near misses in a separate log so they can be reviewed and investigated.
Where to learn more
- Accident Investigation and Reporting: one-day course covering investigation, record keeping and RIDDOR
- Emergency First Aid at Work: one-day in-house first aid course, including reporting procedures
- RIDDOR reporting explained
- What is a near miss? Definition and examples
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 explained
Talk to KeyOstas
Our Accident Investigation and Reporting course gives supervisors and managers the skills to record, investigate and report accidents properly. We deliver it at your site for up to 12 delegates.
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