18.09.13 The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) Changes

RIDDOR is the law that requires employers to keep records of:
• Work-related deaths
• Serious injuries
• Cases of diagnosed industrial disease
• Certain ‘dangerous occurrences’

The latest changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) will come into effect on 1 October 2013. The changes follow a recommendation from Professor Ragnar Löfstedt in his report “Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety legislation.” He recommended further clarity to the changes to RIDDOR that were implemented a year ago; therefore the Government has produced new legislation.

The main changes from October 2013 are:
• The classification of ‘major injuries’ to workers is being replaced with a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’
• The existing schedule that details 47 types of industrial diseases is being replaced with 8 categories of reportable work-related illnesses
• Less types of ‘dangerous occurrences’ will need to be reported

There are no significant changes in the requirement to report fatal accidents, accidents to non-workers/members of the public or accidents which result in the worker to be incapable of working for more than 7 days.
Under the new regulations employers and anybody else in control of premises will be required to notify incidents to the Health and Safety Executive within 10 days of the incident, which is shorter than the existing 15 day period.

To read the draft, subject to Parliamentary approval, see http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg453-rev1.pdf