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Russ1977  
#1 Posted : 22 August 2016 11:31:52(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Russ1977

Hi all, I have started working in higher education and have a question about RIDDOR escalation. Does the 7 day absence rule apply to students in the same way it does employees? Thanks Russ
HSSnail  
#2 Posted : 22 August 2016 11:43:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

No - the 7 day absence only applies to employees and the students are not employees (or at least I assume there not!) Might find this HSE document useful http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edis1.pdf
jwk  
#3 Posted : 22 August 2016 11:44:33(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jwk

No, students are not people at work, for RIDDOR (and indeed all H&S requirements) they are members of the public. It might get complicated with some post-grads and especially post-docs, depending on the contract, but under-grads and most post-grads are not people at work, John
Jane Blunt  
#4 Posted : 22 August 2016 11:52:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

Under grads can be at work - student nurses when on the wards are at work, I believe, but when they are in the lecture rooms and the labs they are not. Post grads are not usually at work, but they are often employed to help out in the undergrad labs and in these circumstances they are at work. I think that post-docs are always at work because they are now funded.
Russ1977  
#5 Posted : 22 August 2016 12:26:01(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Russ1977

Thanks guys, So essentially with the exception of some post grads/post docs, RIDDOR in the main does not apply to students? Regards Russ
Invictus  
#6 Posted : 22 August 2016 12:31:49(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Invictus

Russ1977 wrote:
Thanks guys, So essentially with the exception of some post grads/post docs, RIDDOR in the main does not apply to students? Regards Russ
Russ, you have it right that the answer is 'no' it doesn't apply but why give a straight answer when ypou can bring ither things in to confuse.
Russ1977  
#7 Posted : 22 August 2016 12:45:46(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Russ1977

Invictus wrote:
Russ1977 wrote:
Thanks guys, So essentially with the exception of some post grads/post docs, RIDDOR in the main does not apply to students? Regards Russ
Russ, you have it right that the answer is 'no' it doesn't apply but why give a straight answer when ypou can bring ither things in to confuse.
Hahaha thanks Invictus
peter gotch  
#8 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:02:41(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

We employ students in vacations - temporary employees.
Jane Blunt  
#9 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:05:29(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

The fact that, in the main, students are not at work, does not mean that RIDDOR does not apply - it most certainly does! We were not trying to confuse above - it is a complex area and I have 16 years experience of working in this area. Students are treated as members of the public, so the filters that you apply to decide what is reportable and what is not reportable are different. Please read the regs and the guidance leaflet linked above by Brian Hagyard. Note that this classification also has ramifications in working with ionising radiation, to give another example. It is likely that students will form the majority of your RIDDOR reports, especially if your institution teaches engineering and the sciences, or has students in workshops.
Invictus  
#10 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:22:00(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Invictus

I have a lot of experience in this and many other areas and in my opinion it is not complex at all it's simple it is only complex when people decide to make it complex. It is like everything in safety why do it the easy way when you can make the job seem enormous no wonder managers and oweners shy away from it, they think it is hard and complex.
jwk  
#11 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:30:49(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jwk

Invictus, I have to agree with Jane. RIDDOR is not simple, much of H&S is, but RIDDOR isn't. It's badly an confusingly drafted, and makes much use of categories such as 'people at work' and 'members of the public' which don't really map very well onto the real world. There is a reason for the most common thread title on this forum being RIDDOR. It confuses people, and I for one can easily understand why, John
Invictus  
#12 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:33:29(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Invictus

I am happy for people to agree with who they want the reason RIDDOR is difficult is we think to much into.
Invictus  
#13 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:34:40(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Invictus

it
Jane Blunt  
#14 Posted : 22 August 2016 13:55:07(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

Invictus wrote:
Russ1977 wrote:
Thanks guys, So essentially with the exception of some post grads/post docs, RIDDOR in the main does not apply to students? Regards Russ
Russ, you have it right that the answer is 'no' it doesn't apply but why give a straight answer when ypou can bring ither things in to confuse.
The above could be taken the wrong way, to imply that RIDDOR simply does not apply to students. I was keen to ensure that this was not left unchallenged, as it looked as though the OP was drawing the wrong conclusions from the advice above. RIDDOR does apply to students, but the rules are different, depending on whether they are being a student at the time, or a worker. Personally, I think that where you have a situation that a person can be a worker one part of the day and a member of the public another part of the day does make it complicated.
ptaylor14  
#15 Posted : 22 August 2016 14:11:24(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
ptaylor14

Russ1977 wrote:
Hi all, I have started working in higher education and have a question about RIDDOR escalation. Does the 7 day absence rule apply to students in the same way it does employees? Thanks Russ
Check this out http://www.hse.gov.uk/fo...ernalops/og/og-00030.htm it gives you the info you need
Invictus  
#16 Posted : 22 August 2016 14:17:20(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Invictus

quote=Jane Blunt]
Invictus wrote:
Russ1977 wrote:
Thanks guys, So essentially with the exception of some post grads/post docs, RIDDOR in the main does not apply to students? Regards Russ
Russ, you have it right that the answer is 'no' it doesn't apply but why give a straight answer when ypou can bring other things in to confuse.
The above could be taken the wrong way, to imply that RIDDOR simply does not apply to students. I was keen to ensure that this was not left unchallenged, as it looked as though the OP was drawing the wrong conclusions from the advice above. RIDDOR does apply to students, but the rules are different, depending on whether they are being a student at the time, or a worker. Personally, I think that where you have a situation that a person can be a worker one part of the day and a member of the public another part of the day does make it complicated.
Everybody has the right to what they consider is complicated or not, the reason in MY OPINION that RIDDOR has become complex is that we all seem to use the 'what if' when it comes to RIDDOR or safety in that matter. We all know that there are anomalies along the way, but when a poster puts anything on here there are that many who seem to want to prove intelligence by adding to waht is not a complex issue. Responding by saying on the whole they are not but there are some exceptions to the rule that maybe need to be considered at the time of the incident, for me would go a lot further than, 'if there a nurse their students in the workplace, dr's are students but they also work' It does apply to students but not the 7 day rule, but on the whole as members of the public. I am asked daily about RIDDOr working within elderly services, if an elderly person falls over and breaks a bone, this must be reportable under RIDDOR, and it's not, but try telling managers of homes that.
Steve e ashton  
#17 Posted : 22 August 2016 22:20:26(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Steve e ashton

Just as little caution here people... The op asked if the seen day rule applied, not if riddor a applied. Knowing there is a seven day rule may indicate an awareness of the fact that riddir applies?
Jane Blunt  
#18 Posted : 23 August 2016 06:27:48(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

The topic wandered into this territory because at #5 the OP seemed to be of that belief.
Invictus  
#19 Posted : 23 August 2016 07:35:25(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Invictus

quote=Steve e ashton]Just as little caution here people... The op asked if the seen day rule applied, not if riddor a applied. Knowing there is a seven day rule may indicate an awareness of the fact that riddir applies?
He asks the question regarding RIDDOR. He says regarding RIDDOR escalation does the Seven day rule apply to students as well as employees.
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