Healthy,
safe and
productive lives
and enterprises

Accident and Incident Reporting

Incident Report Form

There are specific requirements for reporting accidents and incidents involving biological agents under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Biological Agents) Regulations 2013 and 2020 (S.I. No. 572 of 2013 as amended by S.I. No. 539 of 2020) (commonly known as the Biological Agents Regulations). An incident is an occurrence which involves the risk of exposure.

Reporting to the Employer

  • Under  Regulation 6 of the Biological Agents Regulations, employees must report any accident or incident of which they are aware of, which involves exposure/risk of exposure to or release of a biological agent, that is or is likely to be a risk to an employee's health and safety.
  • The employee must report the accident or incident immediately to their employer or to the person responsible for safety and health in the employer's undertaking.
  • Accidents and incidents should be properly reported, documented and investigated in order to learn from the events.

Reporting to the Health and Safety Authority

  • The legal requirements for reporting accidents or incidents involving biological agents to the Authority are under the Biological Agents Regulations rather than under Part 14 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 to 2020.
  • Under Regulation 14(1)(d) of the Biological Agents Regulations, employers must immediately notify the Authority of any accident or incident which may have resulted in the release of a biological agent and which could cause severe human infection or illness (or both).
  • Where accidents and incidents involving biological agents are required to be reported to the Authority they can be reported using the on-line reporting system.