This month (October), the law on reporting incidents, diseases & dangerous occurrences (Riddor) changes with the intention of making life easier for companies. There is guidance on the new rules on the Health & Safety Executive website (www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm).

Riddor is the law that requires employers to report and keep records of:

• work-related deaths
• serious injuries
• cases of diagnosed industrial disease
• certain ‘dangerous occurrences’ (near miss accidents).

The main changes are designed to simplify the reporting requirements in the following areas:

• The classification of ‘major injuries’ to workers is being replaced with a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’
• 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), or accidents which result in the incapacitation of a worker for more than seven days.

Employers will still have to keep their own record of accidents resulting in a worker not being able to work for more than three days.

Riddor reports should be made online to www.hse.gov.uk/riddor

There is more about the Riddor changes and other developmenst in health & safety in the October issue of Natural Stone Specialist.