RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) have recently been changed and the 2013 version has some important differences from that which was previously in force. The changes have been carefully designed to make adhering to these important regulations easier. Some businesses were avoiding reporting because the regulations were quite cumbersome, so the streamlined RIDDOR 2013 have been welcomed. Avoidance of reporting was causing inaccurate figures relating to injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences in the workplace, so in the future, the new RIDDOR will help make the workplace safer by making sure that statistics are more representative.
Main changes:
RIDDOR 1995’s list of ‘major injuries’ is now replaced by a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’.
This list is easier to navigate and understand and most people who do a lot of RIDDOR paperwork will soon be able to remember them without having to look through a long and cumbersome list. They include fractures (other than to fingers, thumbs and toes which often require no specific treatment); amputations; injuries which are a risk to sight; crush injuries to head or torso causing damage; serious burns (including scalding) which covers more than 10% of the body or causes significant damage; scalping (if it needs hospital treatment); any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia and finally, any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space. This last is quite specific and only covers situations in which the person subsequently suffers from hypothermia or heat-induced illness or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
47 industrial diseases are now reduced to six basic groups of conditions which must be reported.
These are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; cramp of the hand or forearm; occupational dermatitis; Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome; occupational asthma and finally tendonitis or tenosynovitis which is occasionally called RSI – repetitive strain injury.
The list of ‘dangerous occurrences’ has been shortened by breaking it up into three basic groups:
General incidents in all workplaces; general incidents occurring anywhere except offshore and occurring specifically in offshore workplaces, mines, quarries and relevant transport systems. This means that no one need concern themselves with incidents from the other lists, making the RIDDOR easier to remember, although of course the whole document is available as a print out or online.
Simpler reporting
Apart from the above there are no significant changes but reporting is now easier as it is preferred that it is done online. There is no longer any need to complete form F2508 and send it off which was often the stumbling block in a busy situation. Whenever anything is changed it can take people a while to get used to it but in the case of RIDDOR the basic rules still apply – if a reportable incident occurs or there is an incident resulting in an absence of more than 7 days, it must be put in the accident book. The current one can be continued and, as before, this must be made available to any HSE, local authority or ORR (Office of Rail Regulations) inspectors who request a sight of it.
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