The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) requires employers, and other people who are in control of work premises, to keep records of work-related deaths, injuries, diagnosed cases of industrial diseases and certain ‘dangerous occurrences’. They are also required to report incidents to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) so that they can identify where and how risks arise, and establish whether the employer needs to be investigated. Non-compliance with RIDDOR is a criminal offence, and can lead to prosecution and fines.
 
In 2012 the Government asked Professor Lodstedt to carry out a review of RIDDOR and his report ‘Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety legislation’ recommended changes to the existing RIDDOR regime. The HSE opened a public consultation between August and October 2012 and from 1st October 2013 significant changes to the existing reporting requirements will be introduced to “simplify the reporting of workplace injuries for business, while ensuring that the data collected gives an accurate picture of workplace incidents”.
 
The main changes are in the following areas:
 
The classification of ‘major injuries’ to workers is being replaced with a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’ (Regulation 4)
The existing schedule detailing 47 types of industrial disease is being 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 which result in the incapacitation of a worker for more than seven days.
Accidents which result in the incapacitation of a worker for more than 3 consecutive days (excluding the day of the accident but including weekends or other rest days). Accidents that exceed 3 days but do not exceed 7 days do not have to be reported.
 
Only work-related accidents need to be reported and, when deciding if the accident that left to the death or injury is work-related and needs to be reported, the issues to be considered are whether the accident was related to:
 
The way in which the work was carried out
Any machinery, plant, substances or equipment used for work
The condition of the site or premises where the accident happened.
 
The changes will not alter the procedure to report an incident at work or the criteria that determines whether an incident should be investigated. The HSE states that the deregulation of RIDDOR will save businesses £5.9 million over a 10 year period.
 
To review the Draft HSE Guidance to RIDDOR 2013 please click on the following link: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg453-rev1.pdf