Reed unless I am missing the point here the only RDDOR reportable would be your workforce installing or dismantling the Ice Rinks. Not members of the public they are not working?

Alex I get your dilemma where you are dealing with public accidents - to add to canopeners comments - these accident can still be reportable under RIDDOR depending on the circumstances - many insurers now as routine investigate reportable accidents if they feel a claim may arise - gets them on the front foot. Especially with EL as many policies provide Occupational Health to get long term sick back into work, keeps the cost of claims down.

Unfortunately you will have to provide the information to enable them to evaluate the risk of underwriting your activities - just keep out the personal details. They have to understand the risk involved.

Our EL insures investigate all reportable incidents - I welcome this as a 2nd investigation and I have on many occasion taken advantage of the OH provision provided.

When I started 25 years ago, I always made three reports; RIDDOR, Company HQ and our insurers.

Speaking as a liability surveyor for an insurer and a part time ice steward at my local rink, I think I can cover most angles here.

From the insurers point of view, they would expect to be notified of all incidents, perhaps as a monthly return if the volumes are high. For an ice rink type business, these would just sit on file until such a time that a formal claim is made.

From an incident management point of view, most incidents can be dealt with usuing a defence of volenti non fit injuria. There are risks inherent to the activity and you accept these risks when setting foot on the ice.

There are some issues that can arise from the rink itself though. These normally relate to maintaining the ice at too low a temperature so that cracks open up in the pad. Poor use of the ice cutting machine (Zamboni) can also lead to the base material (concrete or sand) being exposed.

Ice stewards should be employed when the numbers reach a set level. For a full size ice pad, the rink I work at sets this number at 25. Stewards should meet a certain grade for skating ability, be sensible and minimum age of 16.

Among the things I enforce on the ice are:-
- No long chains, 3 at the max.
- No use of cameras or mobile phones on the pad.
- Hoods must be down. They resrict vision / hearing too much.
- No bags or loose scarves.
- No eating / drinking on the ice.
- No spray hockey stops aimed at another person.
- Enforcement of a one way system. On most rinks this is anticlockwise.
- No cutting in / games of tag / charging or boarding.

I also routinely check skaters boots. If they are blades out / ankles in they are not tight enough and offer no ankle support. I ask them to step off the ice and sort these out.
Anything dropped on the ice must also be picked up.
No use of hockey gear, pucks or sticks on public skate sessions.


The rink I work at has the pad fully covered with CCTV as well. It is pretty safe when the rules are followed.

You appear to have covered every base and obviously you have the fact in hand that some records may have to be kept for a very long time - a time that your broker may not have accounted for

Its easy dealing with the public is it not! Give me a mine, construction site, refinery, manufacturing plant and similar every time where the public have no access

Graham - my rink has "Slippery surface" signs with pictogram of a person falling backwards.

The mindset of some folks is quite interesting. They see this vast sheet of white ice and their mind associates it with winter snow. They are genuinely surprised that when they fall, it is as hard as concrete. They soon learn though.

Interestingly, skating is one activity where the faster you go, the less it hurts. If you fall at speed, it is so quick you don't have time to tense up and simply slide across the ice. When stationary or low speed, your weight falls in one spot and that is when we get the injured knee caps and broken wrists. People also tense up a lot more.