The HSE's plans to amend the RIDDOR Regulations by extending to over seven consecutive days the period before a work related injury must be reported is a far more sensible approach than the current ‘over-three-day’ rule.
Firstly, ‘over-three-day’ reporting is time consuming, particularly for small firms. The change will allow employers to spend more time investigating and correcting safety problems.
Secondly, while the number of injuries that qualify for reporting will drop, the change may actually improve the quality of the reports submitted to the HSE. This is because the new reporting threshold will co-incide with the seven day period after which an injured or sick employee must obtain a ‘fit note’ from their doctor. The doctor’s report will give the employer a much better ‘feel’ for the injury and will improve the details provided in accident reports.