HSE proposes to simplify workplace injury reporting

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has proposed changes that are intended to streamline the mandatory reporting requirement of workplace injuries for businesses.

Based on Professor Lfstedts report Reclaiming Health and Safety for All, the proposals would alter the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, a regulation which requires employers to report and keep record of incidents including work-related deaths and injuries.

The proposals, published this week (July 9), are likely to come into effect on October 1 this year, and would see the classification of major injuries to shorter specified injuries list, as well as a list of 47 types of industrial disease replaced with eight categories of reportable work-related illness.

Fewer types of dangerous occurrence would also need to be reported, with incidents relating to the failure of freight containers, the carriage of dangerous substances by road and minor injuries at mines and quarries among those omitted.

The proposals, which the HSE hopes will produce a net benefit to business of 5.9 million over a ten-year period, were the result of a 12-week consultation period giving stakeholders the opportunity to comment.

Changes

The proposals follow similar rule changes implemented in April 2012, based on a specific recommendation by Lord Young in his 2010 report Common Sense, Common Safety, which saw the HSE aim to reduce the administrative burden on businesses (see letsrecycle story).

At the time, Chris Jones, chair of the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) forum, argued such legislation would not reduce the number of accidents that occur and could even highlighted concerns over possible discrepancies in the data following the changes.

However, a spokesman for HSE told letsrecycle.com that the changes did not indicate any change in HSE policy and that the organisations rigorous inspection regime will continue.
He said: The changes proposed will simply remove the duty to report in cases where the information is of little use or better collected through other means.

Our rigorous inspection regime will continue. The proposals do not indicate any change in HSE’s policy or strategic objectives, and we will continue to focus our investigations on those incidents that meet our published selection criteria.

Reporting

The body also confirmed there will no significant changes to reporting requirements for fatal accidents, accidents to members of the public and accidents which prevent a worker from performing their normal range of duties for more than seven days.

HSE has published information to support dutyholders, allowing businesses time to familiarise themselves with the changes. Although on track for implementation later this year, the proposals still require parliamentary approval.