Health and Safety Executive
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Consultation opens on RIDDOR change

The Health and Safety Executive yesterday opened a three-month consultation on proposed changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.

Changes to RIDDOR were recommended in the Young report on health and safety published last year, which contained a proposal to increase the threshold for reporting workplace injuries to seven days.

Under current rules when an employee is absent from work for more than three days following an incident, employers are required to report the injury to the relevant enforcing authority - either HSE or the local council. The proposed amendment increases this 'over three day' period to over seven consecutive days.

The change would align the incident reporting threshold with that for obtaining a 'fit note' from a GP for sickness absence, and would ensure that someone who has suffered a reportable injury has had a professional medical assessment.

The consultation paper is available online at www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd233.htm. The deadline for responses is 9 May 2011.

HSE will consider the responses and expects to submit recommendations to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Notes to editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. For more information about the work of HSE, visit www.hse.gov.uk
  2. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
  3. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) are regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA). This law requires businesses to report to regulators the more serious work related injuries and ill health as well as incidents that have the potential to cause serious harm. Certain injuries to members of the public affected by the business undertaking are reportable too.
  4. Section 15 of the Health and Safety at Work Act allows the Secretary of State to make regulations. Section 50 of the Health and Safety at Work Act requires that HSE consults before submitting proposals to change regulation.

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