HSE Announces Important Legislation Changes

Two revised health and safety regulations take effect today that will help businesses more easily comply with the law. The reporting of workplace injuries has been simplified and greater flexibility has been introduced for managing the provision of first aid training.

First aid – The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 have been amended to remove the requirement for HSE to approve first aid training and qualifications.

RIDDOR – Changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 have been introduced that clarify and simplify the reporting requirements, while ensuring that the data collected gives an accurate and useful picture of workplace incidents. The main changes are in the following areas:

  • The classification of ‘major injuries’ to workers has been replaced with a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’
  • The existing schedule detailing 47 types of industrial disease replaced with eight categories of reportable work-related illness
  • Fewer types of ‘dangerous occurrence’ require reporting

Both changes follow a review of health and safety legislation by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt in which he made a number of recommendations that the Government appointed HSE to implement.