An accident book is only useful if someone reads it. Recording accidents meets a legal duty, but reviewing the book is what turns those records into fewer accidents. A regular review helps you spot patterns, fix hazards, meet RIDDOR deadlines and show inspectors and insurers that you take health and safety seriously.
The short answer
It is important to review the accident book because it is the best evidence you have of where and how people get hurt at work. Reviewing it lets you:
- Spot trends, such as repeated slips in the same corridor or cuts at the same machine.
- Update your risk assessments when accidents show a control is not working.
- Catch RIDDOR-reportable incidents, including minor injuries that turn into over-7-day absences.
- Check records are complete and accurate before you need them for a claim or an inspection.
- Keep personal data under control, in line with UK GDPR.
1. Spotting trends and preventing repeat accidents
A single accident can look like bad luck. Five similar accidents in three months is a hazard. Reviewing entries together shows you:
- Locations where accidents cluster, such as stairs, loading bays or kitchens.
- Tasks or equipment involved again and again.
- Times of day or shifts with more accidents, which can point to fatigue or staffing issues.
- Groups of people affected more often, such as new starters or contractors.
Include near misses in your review too. They show you the same hazards before anyone is injured.
2. Keeping risk assessments up to date
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to review their risk assessments when there is reason to think they are no longer valid, and to have arrangements to monitor and review their preventive measures. An accident is one of the clearest signs that a risk assessment needs another look. Reviewing the accident book gives you a regular, documented trigger to do that.
3. Catching RIDDOR deadlines
Not every reportable incident looks serious on the day. A sprained wrist recorded as minor can become an over-7-day injury if the person is off work or unable to do their normal duties for more than seven days. That must be reported to the HSE within 15 days of the accident. Reviewing recent entries, and following up on anyone still off work, helps you catch these before the deadline passes.
4. Checking records are complete
If a personal injury claim or an HSE inspection comes, your accident book is key evidence. Entries with missing times, vague locations or no description of what happened are far less useful. A review is the moment to spot gaps while people still remember the details. See accident book entry examples.
5. Protecting personal data
Accident records contain personal and health information, so UK GDPR applies. A review is a good time to check that completed records are stored securely, that only authorised people can see them, and that records past your retention period are destroyed safely. Read more in our guide to accident book GDPR requirements.
How often should you review the accident book?
There is no fixed legal interval, but a sensible approach is:
| Situation | Suggested review |
|---|---|
| Every new entry | Read and follow up within one working day |
| Busy or higher-risk sites | Monthly trend review |
| Lower-risk offices and shops | At least quarterly |
| After a serious accident | Immediately, alongside your investigation |
| Annual health and safety review | Full review of the year’s records and trends |
Who should review it?
Usually the manager responsible for the site, supported by whoever looks after health and safety. In larger organisations, head office or a health and safety committee should also look at trends across sites. Whoever reviews it should have the authority to act on what they find.
A simple accident book review checklist
- Has every entry been read and followed up?
- Is each entry complete: who, when, where, what happened and what injury?
- Could any entry be RIDDOR reportable, including over-7-day absences?
- Are there repeated locations, tasks or equipment?
- Do any risk assessments need updating?
- Have actions from the last review been completed?
- Are records stored securely, and are old records due for destruction?
Make reviewing easier
Reviewing a paper book means reading page by page and counting by hand. A digital accident book alerts managers to every new entry, shows trends across sites on a dashboard and flags incidents that may be RIDDOR reportable, so the review takes minutes rather than hours.