# Working in Northern Ireland, Health and Safety (HSENI)
In Northern Ireland you're under HSENI, not the GB HSE. The law and duties feel very similar on site, but the regulator, forms and contact routes are different.
1. Who enforces what
HSENI (Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland) is the main health and safety regulator in NI, sponsored by the Department for the Economy.
- HSENI and the District Councils share enforcement between them, depending on the type of workplace.
- The core law is the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 · NI's version of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
- HSENI follows published enforcement guidelines aiming for "firm but fair" use of inspections, improvement notices, prohibition notices and, if needed, prosecutions.
For a worker or small contractor: if you're in NI, HSENI is your first port of call, even if the local council is the enforcing authority behind the scenes.
2. RIDDOR in Northern Ireland
RIDDOR still exists in NI, but it runs on NI-specific regulations and forms.
- NI uses the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 · usually shortened to RIDDOR (NI) 97.
- These place a legal duty on employers, the self-employed and people in control of premises to report certain work-related deaths, major injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences.
- The broad idea of what needs reporting is similar to GB (serious injuries, certain ill-health, near-miss events), but NI did not copy all of the 2012/2013 RIDDOR changes made in Great Britain.
3. How you actually report an incident in NI
In NI you report RIDDOR incidents direct to HSENI, using their systems and form numbers.
The process
- Since 1 April 2013, employers can report all work-related incidents to HSENI, even where a District Council is the enforcing authority. HSENI then passes cases on as needed.
- You notify the enforcing authority without delay: for example by phone, and then follow up with an accident report form known as NI2508.
The forms
HSENI's "Report an incident" page routes you to the right online forms:
| Form | What it's for |
|---|---|
| NI2508 | Report a work-related injury/accident |
| NI2508 | Report a dangerous occurrence |
| NI2508A | Report a disease case |
| NI2508RB / NI2508RA | Railway incidents |
| NI2508G1 / NI2508G2 | Gas incidents and dangerous gas fittings |
The responsible person (employer, self-employed, or person in control of premises) completes the online form. HSENI processes it to their RIDDOR database and sends you a copy.
Important: an employee who's had an accident can't submit the RIDDOR form themselves to HSENI, but they can use HSENI's online complaint form to raise concerns about unsafe or unhealthy work.
4. The key differences from GB
| Great Britain (HSE) | Northern Ireland (HSENI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | HSE | HSENI |
| Core law | Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 | Health and Safety at Work (NI) Order 1978 |
| RIDDOR version | RIDDOR 2013 (GB) | RIDDOR (NI) 1997 |
| Reporting forms | HSE online portal | HSENI NI2508 forms |
| Reporting to | HSE directly | HSENI (who route to councils if needed) |
| Enforcement | HSE + local authorities | HSENI + District Councils |
The duties on you as an employer or self-employed person are essentially the same. The difference is who you report to and which forms you use.
5. What this means for you on site
If you work on both sides of the Irish Sea:
- In Northern Ireland, your regulator is HSENI, not HSE.
- You still have to do RIDDOR, but it's under RIDDOR (NI) 97 and you use HSENI's NI2508 forms and website to report · not the GB HSE portal.
- If you're not sure who enforces your workplace, you can still report to HSENI and they will route it to the right enforcement body.
On your paperwork
- RAMS, method statements and site induction packs for NI jobs should reference HSENI, not HSE.
- Emergency contact numbers should point to HSENI, not the GB HSE helpline.
- Any "how to report an accident" poster on an NI site should show the NI2508 route, not the GB online form.
What to do next
- Read: Working in Northern Ireland · building regulations overview
- Read: Guide 4.1 · Your legal right to refuse unsafe work
- Read: Guide 4.2 · How to report to HSE (for GB comparison)
Sources (UK)
- Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 · primary NI H&S legislation.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 · RIDDOR (NI).
- HSENI Enforcement Guidelines · inspection, notices, prosecution approach.
- HSENI · incident reporting, NI2508 forms, regulatory guidance.
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