# A receptionist slips and is off for eight days: the RIDDOR over-7-day report, the 15 days and the 10 days, dated

> A worker injury that keeps them from normal duties for over 7 days must be reported within 15 days. Dated for a Monday slip, with the 10-day rule.

- Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/clinics/riddor-dental-practice-over-7-day-injury-15-days-patient-fall-hospital-worked/
- Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/)
- Section: Dental, physio and aesthetics clinics, CQC, GDC and patient data
- Published 10 October 2026
- Key fact: A receptionist slips at 9.40 on Monday 5 October 2026 and is off from Tuesday 6 October. Seven days are 6 to 12 October, so the injury becomes over-7-day on Tuesday 13 October, and the report is due within 15 days of the incident, by Tuesday 20 October. A death or specified injury must be reported without delay and received within 10 days, which for the same Monday is Thursday 15 October.
- Sources: HSE, "When do I need to report an incident?" (death or specified injury of a worker: notify without delay and a report must be received within 10 days; over-seven-day incapacitation of a worker: notify within 15 days of the incident; non-fatal accidents requiring hospital treatment to non-workers: without delay, with the 10-day rule); HSE RIDDOR guidance as quoted by secondary sources for the counting of days (the day of the accident is excluded, weekends and rest days are included). Read 10 October 2026.

A receptionist slips on the wet floor by the front door at twenty to ten on a Monday. By lunchtime she is in pain, the next morning she cannot put weight on it, and the practice manager sends her home. The question that night is whether a form has to go to the HSE, and by when.

## The three clocks

HSE's page on when to report separates what has to be reported and sets a clock for each.

- **A death or a specified injury to a worker:** notify the enforcing authority **without delay**, and a report must be **received within 10 days**.
- **An over-seven-day incapacitation of a worker:** notify within **15 days** of the incident.
- **A non-worker taken to hospital:** the page lists non-fatal accidents requiring hospital treatment to non-workers under the same without-delay duty and the 10-day rule.

Secondary summaries of the HSE guidance agree that the seven days do not include the day of the accident but do include weekends and rest days. I did not read that sentence on the HSE page itself, so check it against the current guidance before you rely on the count.

## The receptionist, dated

| Date | What happened | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 5 October | Slips at 9.40, finishes the day | Day of accident, not counted |
| Tue 6 October | Off sick | Day 1 |
| Mon 12 October | Still off | Day 7 |
| Tue 13 October | Still off | Day 8, so over seven days |
| Tue 20 October | Last day to report | 15 days from 5 October |

The injury becomes reportable on the eighth day, not the fifth working day, because weekends count. The report is due within 15 days of the incident, so the practice has a week after it knows. If she had a fracture of a specified type, the clock would be 10 days from 5 October, which is Thursday 15 October, and the report is without delay.

## The patient who falls on the steps

A patient trips on the entrance step, is taken to hospital by ambulance and treated. The HSE page lists accidents to non-workers requiring hospital treatment as reportable without delay. I did not read the page's wording on when an accident to a member of the public counts as arising from the work, so read the "non-workers" section of the guidance before you decide. The accident book entry is needed regardless.

## What the practice should do

1. **Record it the same day.** The accident book entry gives the date, time and what happened, and it starts the count.
2. **Put the eighth day in the diary.** The practice manager should note it as soon as a staff member is off after an injury at work.
3. **Report online.** The HSE form is the quick route; for a fatal or specified injury there is also a telephone line.
4. **Tell the insurer.** The employer's liability policy may require notice; our guide to [employers' liability cover for a dental practice](https://aeolookup.com/clinics/employers-liability-insurance-dental-practice-5-million-2500-a-day-lapse-certificate/) gives the cover and certificate rules.

Needlestick injuries have their own regulations, set out in our guide to [sharps injuries in a dental practice](https://aeolookup.com/clinics/sharps-injury-dental-practice-regulations-2013-what-the-practice-must-do/), and an injury that keeps a nurse off work also triggers the pay rules in the [dental staff sick pay guide](https://aeolookup.com/clinics/dental-staff-sick-pay-2026-27-123-25-week-80-percent-rule-cost/).

I did not read the list of specified injuries, the dangerous occurrences or the occupational diseases that are reportable, so this guide does not say what falls into each. Read the HSE list before you decide a case.

Overlyft ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/ours-badge.png) builds AI staff who join your practice team, take the accident book entry, count the days from the staff rota and put the 10 and 15 day dates in the manager's diary with the HSE form pre-filled for review.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the HSE guidance before you decide whether to report.

---
![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/owner-line.png)

General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.