Hope someone can help clarify.  So the guidance on logging a RIDDOR in terms of staff getting possible Coronavirus as a result of work is clear.  But in the social care home setting, the first statement in the guidance from the HSE states, ".  An unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus. This must be reported as a dangerous occurrence (see RIDDOR regulation 7, Schedule 2 - Section 10).

So looking at this from a Residential social care setting where we have 24 Homes with residents in ranging from 50 -90 elderly people in some Homes.  If a resident comes back from hospital and later develops Covid 19 and infects another resident would this be a RIDDOR? *note: we dont as a rule report resident RIDDORS unless they sustain an injury as a direct result of a staff members negligence and results in hospitalisation.

Yes i understand the resident is not at work, im looking at the wording which says "someone" and looking at the regulation its unclear if it may apply.

Taking "someone" to/from hospital is not "unintended". A care home resident is not "at work". Not RIDDOR

Now if it were one of your staff members "at work" suffering "possible or actual exposure" from a returning resident who was a carrier then that would be RIDDOR.

As with all regulations you need to read context rather than focusing on a single word or phrase.

The following is taken from guidance provided by HSE:

"For an incident to be reportable as an occupational exposure to a biological agent, the diagnosis of Covid 19 must be directly attributed to an occupational exposure.  Such instances could include, for example, frontline health and social care workers (e.g. ambulance personnel, GPs, social care providers, hospital staff etc) who have been involved in providing care/ treatment to known cases of Covid 19, who subsequently develop the disease and this is reliably attributed to their work and verified by a registered medical practitioner’s statement."

Note: "to known cases of Covid 19", "reliably attributed to their work" and "verified by a registered medical practitioner's statement". Without all three of  these being in place would it be reportable?

One thought is that how would you reliably attribute the infection as being due to their work without being able to exclude all other possibilities of them having become infected by some other exposure?

As i have said before when looking at the dangerouse occurance i have alwys been told to look at the "unintended exposure" bit - so its the dropping of the test tube etc. I would not call care/medica staff working with residents/service users/patients an "unintended exposure" so only if they develop Covid 19 and it can been shown that they have very lickly been exposed in a work situation because of working with known covid 19 cases would i turn to RIDDOR and report as an occupational diease.

Brian - don't forget the "verified by a registered medical practitioner" requirement for RIDDOR registration.