Deliver Your News to the World

Rules for Reporting Accidents at Work Change - Is Your Business Up To Date?

As rules for reporting workplace accidents are amended, Stephensons Solicitors LLP are urging company owners and decision makers to ensure that they are up to date.


United Kingdom – WEBWIRE

RIDDOR states that employers must report all work related deaths and certain work related injuries, diseases and near misses to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

As rules for reporting workplace accidents are amended, Stephensons Solicitors LLP are urging company owners and decision makers to ensure that they are up to date.

As of 1 October 2013, two major sets of regulations have changed: the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 (FAR) and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). The aim of these changes is to simplify the reporting requirements an organisation must meet in the event of an accident.

RIDDOR states that employers must report all work related deaths and certain work related injuries, diseases and near misses to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

While the mechanism for reporting incidents involving employees remains unchanged, there are significant changes to RIDDOR which determine the incidents that need to be reported and those that don’t. A shorter list of ‘specified’ injuries has replaced the ‘classification of major injuries’. A total of eight categories of ‘work related illnesses’ have replaced the 47 previously reportable industrial diseases. There are also fewer dangerous occurrences which require reporting.

A copy of the latest updated RIDDOR legislation can be found here. Health and safety representatives must be aware of the changes and trained in the new categories.

FAR requires that employers provide suitable training, equipment and facilities to give first aid to staff members who are injured or become ill at work. But now, the HSE will not approve first aid providers, meaning that employers must ensure that training providers can prove their competence in relation to FAR.

Training providers should be able to provide a First Aid at Work certificate, a documented quality assurance plan and a brief of what their training syllabus covers. Businesses which are looking for training providers could consider choosing previously approved training providers as a first step.

Employers should ensure that training providers can demonstrate that they work to accepted standards and that first aid courses are relevant to the company’s industry. They should also make sure that students receive appropriate certification following the course.

Failure to comply with health and safety regulations can land businesses in hot water, with fines for thousands of pounds from the HSE.

It is imperative that businesses are aware of the latest RIDDOR legislation and ensure that they report any incidents in a timely manner. Prosecutions under FAR are rare but could occur if companies fail to have appropriately trained first aiders on hand.  They are essential for the safety and wellbeing of employees.

For more information on employment law and HR support, talk to Stephensons Solicitors LLP on 0333 344 4885, or pay a visit to http://www.stephensons.co.uk


( Press Release Image: https://photos.webwire.com/prmedia/34286/183199/183199-1.jpg )


WebWireID183199




 
 workplace accidents
 RIDDOR
 Health and safety
 Stephensons Solicitors


This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.

News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.