HSE Announces Details of Proposed RIDDOR Changes

12th July 2013

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced details of proposed changes simplifying the mandatory reporting of workplace injuries for businesses.

Revisions to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 will clarify and simplify the reporting requirements and ensure that the data collected provides a true reflection of workplace incidents.

The HSE has published information to support dutyholders with the requirements in advance, allowing businesses time to familiarise themselves with the changes.  Scheduled for implementation on 1 October 2013, the revisions remain subject to Parliamentary approval.

The main changes will be to simplify the reporting requirements in the following areas:

  • The classification of ‘major injuries’ to workers replaced with a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’
  • The existing schedule detailing 47 types of industrial disease to be replaced with eight categories of reportable work-related illness
  • Fewer types of ‘dangerous occurrence’ will require reporting.

There are no significant changes to the reporting requirements for:

  • Fatal accidents
  • Accidents to non-workers (members of the public)
  • Accidents resulting in a worker being unable to perform their normal range of duties for more than seven days.

Fewer incidents will need reporting overall under the changes, with estimates predicting a net benefit to business of £5.9 million over a ten-year period.

They will not alter the current ways to report an incident at work and the criteria that determine whether an incident should be investigated will remain the same.

For more information on the proposed RIDDOR changes, click here.  For assistance or guidance from the S2 Partnership, contact us.