HSE moves to online information and reporting

19 May 2011

In September the HSE infoline will be closed and RIDDOR reporting will move to online forms but telephone reporting will continue.

In a move to improve efficiency further and deliver value for taxpayers, HSE's Infoline telephone service, which currently provides a basic information service to callers, will end on 30 September 2011. Businesses and members of the public seeking information and official guidance on H&S can use HSE's website - a huge knowledge bank where people can access and download information free of charge and use interactive web tools.
The HSE website features information on the most frequent health and safety enquiries such as those on RIDDOR reporting, First Aid and the H&S responsibilities of new businesses. It currently receives 26 million visits every year and is regularly updated and improved to help businesses and members of the public quickly access the information they need.
In another move, from 12 September 2011, all other reportable work-related injuries and incidents under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995) will move to a predominantly online system, with a suite of seven forms available on HSE's website to make the statutory reporting process quick and easy (see below).
The HSE has also announced that organisation will still be able to notify fatal and major incidents and injuries by phone following changes to reporting arrangements, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed today.
Commenting on the changes, Trevor Carlile, HSE's Director of Strategy said, "More than half of reportable injuries are already notified to HSE through the website and this proportion has been increasing steadily over the past seven years. Taking advantage of the growing use of the internet allows HSE to be more efficient in the way it works. We do recognise, however, that people reporting a traumatic event still need that personal interaction so the notification of fatal and major incidents and injuries will still take place by phone."
HSE continues to provide information and guidance to employers and workers in a range of other ways: through direct work with organisations and trade associations, face-to-face at workshops and safety training days and via books and e-bulletins. A comprehensive suite of H&S advice is also available via the Government's website for businesses (Businesslink.gov), and DirectGov.
The seven online RIDDOR reporting forms will be:
F2508 Report of an injury
F2508 Report of a Dangerous Occurrence
F2508A Report of a Case of Disease
OIR9B Report of an Injury Offshore
OIR9B Report of a Dangerous Occurrence Offshore
F2508G1 Report of a Flammable Gas Incident
F2508G2 Report of a Dangerous Gas Fitting