Posted By Son of SkyWalker I know there are legal definitions and that some diseases may take time to develop and hence reports/investigations should be kept longer, but... Can anyone give me definite timescales for keeping these reports? Thanks Son of Skywalker

Posted By Sheila EJ Keogh Pretty sure its 40 years.

Posted By Son of SkyWalker Some regulations - COSHH and those for lead, asbestos, ionising radiations and compressed air - state that records should be retained for much longer (up to 50 years) as ill health effects might not emerge until a long time after exposure. Is there a definitive HSE guidance document tying down the timescales for accident reports not including the above? Son of Skywalker

Posted By David Whaley See the other responses for time to keep heath related information. You should keep accident reports for a minimum of three years. I would recommend keeping them for longer because you never know when a claim is going to arrive, I know the claim should be made within three years of the loss being known, but! David

Posted By DJ There is no definitive answer. Unless there is a statutory provision to the contrary, The general rule is that records should be kept for sufficient time to allow any claims to come to light. For most claims this is 3 years beyond the date of occurrence. However, where the likely disease is e.g. asbestos or radiation related, much longer periods will be required. I therefore suggest: 1. idenfiy if there is a statutory period (i.e. radiation); 2. identify what likely injuries/diseases are likely to occur and determine what the latency period is; and 3. keep records for 3 years 1 month after that date. Hope this helps.

Posted By Son of SkyWalker Bob Can you point me in the direction of the information pertaining to children please? That is a point I didn't consider. I would like to read into that further. Thanks Son of SkyWalker