Further changes to RIDDOR

Following the change in April 2012 to the reporting threshold for work related injuries from 3 to 7 days absence, HSE has now published its consultative document (which is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd243.htm and http://consultations.hse.gov.uk/gf2.ti/f/16770/442853.1/PDF/-/CD243.pdf) to rationalise RIDDOR in the light of the Lofstedt review.

In summary, HSE wants to focus on reporting of events which might attract an enforcement response. It proposes that in future reporting should be limited to:

all deaths to both workers and people not at work;

all major injuries (based on a simplified list) to people at work;

over-seven day injuries to people at work;

only those dangerous occurrences that occur within major hazard industry sectors or within other specified higher risk sectors or activities such as construction; and

domestic gas events (simplified criteria to apply).

HSE also suggest that in future, employers and persons in control of work premises only should have to record:

all reportable incidents (other than gas events); and

over-three day injuries to people at work.

HSE says that no fundamental changes are proposed to the administrative arrangements for reporting incidents, and that the majority of reports will continue to be made using online report forms which are submitted directly to a central database.