New rules for the reporting of workplace injuries have come into effect this week.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said workplace injury reporting has been simplified while the provision of first aid training is more flexible.
An amendment to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 means the HSE no longer has to approve first aid training and qualifications – a move that was introduced under a banner of restoring common sense to health and safety while maintaining standards.
The key changes in workplace injury reporting include the replacement of the “major injuries” category with a shorter list of “specified injuries”; eight categories of reportable work-related illness have taken the place of a schedule detailing 47 types of industrial disease; and fewer types of “dangerous occurrence” need to be reported.
Businesses of all sizes and sectors as well as self-employed people are affected by the changes, which were implemented following a review of health and safety legislation by Professor Ragnar Lofstedt.
Copyright Press Association 2013