Trying to open a conversation about what the new legal aspects of the legislation, and how it will affect business both in the short and long term in monetary value and how it will affect accident analysis in the workplace. Thoughts welcome

Latchy The change to 7 day reporting will certainly make an improvement on the stats results and possibly hide some incidents that may have been previously reported as a 3 day+ incident. Badger

We've had an over 3 day reportable accident since the 19th Century with the exception of a somewhat disastrous period when the Notification of Accidents and DOs Regs 1980 was in force. Even a deregulatory government recognised the error of its ways and reintroduced over 3 day reportable with RIDDOR 1985. The upcoming amendment which now seems a certainty is going to cause us all lots of problems. At paras 25 and 39 of CD233 HSE glosses over the cost implications of complying with the upcoming legal requirement for each member state to inform Eurostat of O3D accidents (a benchmark agreed substantially influenced by the UK). Para 39 suggests that HSE might need to phone employers to trawl through their accidents to identify O3D but less than O7D accidents or even send out inspectors (one of the max 2 visits a year by enforcing authorities?) to trawl through employers' records. NO attempt to estimate the costs of these resource intensive activities either to the enforcing authorities or UK plc. So my prediction is that many employers will add an extra indicator of performance, with some of us collating stats for O3D, O7D and OSHA (US) recordable (Several levels of these) accidents. Reducing the burden on business? Wholly unconvinced. ....and the less scrupulous will still find ways of underreporting. "My attention has been called, by repeated reports from the Inspectors, to cases of injured workers being pressed to remain at work during the first three days after an injury which not be severe if it was attended to". [Factories and Workshops : Annual Report for 1898]. Plus ça change. Then for business, how do you compare your future stats with current without continuing to count your O3D accidents - let alone benchmark within your sector or beyond?

I echo Peter's comment and concern. The HSE, in thier consultation deliberations, concocted the ridiculous notion of supplying "synthetic estimates" ( a well-worn tool beloved of statisticians, = best guess) of >3 day figures. They neglected to say how they would actually do that. A sad reflection on the "dumb-down" politics in this country that it's considered OK to effectively opt-out of any meaningful exchange of word-wide information (WHO also uses >3 day figure) all for the sake of an indecent haste to comply with the discreted recommendations of a pitiful and amateur "report" (LY) and allied political dogma. I made clear such reservations to HSE in my consultation response, and I'm sure I wasn't alone. All fallen on deaf ears it would appear.

From reading the reply to my blog there seems to be a general lack of confidence in the new RIDDOR, can anyone describe how the new rules will both help buisness and make life easier for the hse and govermnet? Thoughts welcome.

Can anyone point out anything good to come from the change to RIDDOR?Views very welcome.

Does anyone think that it may actually cost buisness more as they need to collate more evidence to no where the trends are i refer to, , Peters example (So my prediction is that many employers will add an extra indicator of performance, with some of us collating stats for O3D, O7D and OSHA (US) recordable (Several levels of these) accidents.) -

John J I can see a problem arising out of your last proposal in your posting where the problem is ill health. How would a doctor in a hospital be able to judge whether the ill health is genuinely work related? I see cases where a GP has issued a statement that the ill health (in my case a skin problem) is occupational where the subsequent investigation reveals the opposite. This causes a problem since with occupational contact dermatitis the trigger for reporting is the diagnosis by a qualified medical practitioner (three/seven day rule does not apply), so probably HSE are already involved. Sometimes proving that the dermatitis was not occupational takes time (and costs money). Chris