Dangerous occurrences are the part of RIDDOR most often missed, because nothing visibly bad happened. Nobody was hurt, so nobody thinks of HSE. The regulation's logic is the opposite: these are the events that could have killed someone, and the duty to report exists precisely because the outcome was luck.
This page lists the general ones. If you want to work through a specific incident, the decision guide asks the questions in order; the reportable injuries list covers the injury side.
Schedule 2, Part 1, paragraphs 1 to 22. Quoted or closely paraphrased from the Schedule; the paragraph number is the one to cite on the report.
| Para | Dangerous occurrence | Where it bites |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lifting equipment: "the collapse, overturning or failure of any load-bearing part of any lifting equipment" (not lifting accessories) | Forklifts, telehandlers, cranes, reach stackers, MEWPs. A lift truck that tips over is reportable even if the driver walks away |
| 2 | Pressure systems: failure of any closed vessel or associated pipework where the failure could cause death | Compressed air receivers, steam, refrigeration |
| 3 | Overhead electric lines: plant or equipment unintentionally coming into contact with, or close enough to cause an electrical discharge from, an uninsulated line of more than 200 volts | Tipping trailers, cranes, telehandlers near lines |
| 4 | Electrical incidents: an explosion or fire caused by an electrical short circuit or overload that stops the plant for more than 24 hours or could have caused death | Switchrooms, charging areas |
| 5–9 | Explosives: unintentional fire, explosion or ignition; misfires; injury-causing ignition; material projected beyond the site; demolition shots that fail | Licensed explosives sites and demolition |
| 10 | Biological agents: an accident that results or could have resulted in the release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human infection or illness | Laboratories, waste |
| 11 | Radiation generators and radiography: equipment fails to de-energise or a source fails to return to its safe position | Industrial radiography, some inspection equipment |
| 12 | Breathing apparatus: a malfunction causing significant risk of injury, in use or during testing immediately before use | Confined-space work, fire teams |
| 13–17 | Diving operations: life-support or platform failure; lifting-equipment failure; a trapped diver; an explosion near a diver; uncontrolled ascent or omitted decompression | Ports and marine works with diving |
| 18 | Collapse of scaffolding: complete or partial collapse of a substantial part of a scaffold more than 5 metres high, or of a slung or suspended scaffold or its suspension arrangements | Construction, maintenance, ship repair |
| 19 | Train collisions: a train colliding with another train or a vehicle, other than at a level crossing on a relevant transport system, where it could have caused death or a specified injury | Sites with rail sidings |
| 20 | Wells: blow-outs and related failures (excluding water wells) | Oil and gas |
| 21–22 | Pipelines: damage to, uncontrolled release from or inrush into a pipeline causing injury or a shutdown of more than 24 hours; unintentional change in a pipeline's position needing immediate attention | Pipeline operators |
Schedule 2, Part 2, paragraphs 23 to 27.
| Para | Dangerous occurrence | Where it bites |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Structural collapse: unintentional collapse or partial collapse of any structure involving a fall of more than 5 tonnes of material, or of any floor or wall of any place of work, arising from ongoing construction work including demolition, refurbishment and maintenance | Construction and refurbishment on any site |
| 24 | Falsework: unintentional collapse or partial collapse of any falsework | Construction |
| 25 | Explosion or fire: "any unintentional explosion or fire in any plant or premises which results in the stoppage of that plant, or the suspension of normal work in those premises, for more than 24 hours" | Any site. Battery charging fires, dust explosions, plant-room fires |
| 26 | Release of flammable liquids and gases: sudden, unintentional, uncontrolled release inside a building of 100 kg or more of a flammable liquid, 10 kg or more of a flammable liquid above its boiling point, or 10 kg or more of a flammable gas; or in the open air of 500 kg or more of a flammable liquid or gas | Fuel storage, LPG, chemical plants |
| 27 | Hazardous escapes of substances: "the unintentional release or escape of any substance which could cause personal injury to any person other than through the combustion of flammable liquids or gases" | Chemical and process sites, refrigerant leaks, dust releases |
Sources: RIDDOR 2013, Schedule 2, Parts 1 and 2, as made; HSE, Dangerous occurrences, updated 7 May 2026.
Schedule 2 continues with lists specific to mines (paragraphs 28–46), quarries (47–53), relevant transport systems such as railways and tramways (54–74, reported to the Office of Rail and Road) and offshore workplaces (75–87). They are outside the scope of this page; the legislation and HSE's page link to each.
Three, mostly.
Paragraph 1, lifting equipment. This is the one workplace transport sites miss. A forklift, telehandler or reach stacker is lifting equipment. If it overturns, or a load-bearing part such as a mast, chain or fork fails, that is a dangerous occurrence and is reportable with no injury at all. The same applies to cranes, hoists, MEWPs and vehicle tail lifts. Lifting accessories (slings, shackles, hooks) are excluded from this paragraph.
Paragraph 25, explosion or fire stopping work for more than 24 hours. Charging areas, plant rooms and dust are the usual sources. The test is the stoppage: a fire put out in twenty minutes with work resuming is not a dangerous occurrence under this paragraph.
Paragraph 3, overhead power lines. Tipping trailers, raised telehandler booms and crane jibs. Contact, or a discharge without contact, is reportable.
Paragraphs 23 and 27 arise where construction or chemicals are present; the rest are sector- specific.
Almost every near miss. A forklift that passes close to a pedestrian, a reversing lorry that stops short, a pallet that falls from a rack with nobody underneath, a vehicle that clips a barrier: none of these is on the list. They are not reportable to HSE.
That is not an argument against recording them. It is the reason to. The Schedule captures the rare event whose severity made it obvious. Everything leading up to it is invisible to the regulator by design, and visible to the site only if the site chooses to write it down.
The Schedule captures the rare event whose severity made it obvious. Everything leading up to it is invisible to the regulator by design.
As for a specified injury: notify the enforcing authority without delay by the quickest practicable means, and send the written report, online at hse.gov.uk/riddor, within 10 days. Keep a record for at least three years. Cite the Schedule 2 paragraph on the form.
An event listed in Schedule 2 of RIDDOR 2013 that must be reported to HSE whether or not anyone was injured, because it had the potential to cause death or serious injury. Twenty-seven apply to ordinary workplaces; further lists apply to mines, quarries, railways and offshore.
Yes. Under Schedule 2, Part 1, paragraph 1, the collapse, overturning or failure of any load-bearing part of lifting equipment is reportable, and a forklift is lifting equipment. It must be reported even if nobody was hurt.
Only if it is one of the listed events. A near miss between a vehicle and a pedestrian, however close, is not on the list and is not reportable. It should be recorded internally.
Only if it results in the stoppage of the plant or the suspension of normal work for more than 24 hours (paragraph 25), or if it was caused by an electrical short circuit or overload and stopped the plant for more than 24 hours or could have caused death (paragraph 4).
Notify without delay, and submit the written report within 10 days of the occurrence.
No. Paragraph 1 covers load-bearing parts of lifting equipment and expressly excludes accessories for lifting such as slings, chains and shackles. A failed sling is not a dangerous occurrence under this paragraph, though any resulting injury may be reportable in its own right.
A forklift that tips over with nobody near it is reportable. The twenty times it nearly did are not. Which of those do you have a record of? Safety Mapping: a free two-week trial on one camera.
Published 27 October 2026 · Last updated 27 October 2026