07/05/2026
The Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”) has launched a significant consultation on proposed reforms to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (“RIDDOR”). Open until 30 June 2026, the consultation represents the first substantial review of the regime in over a decade and signals a clear intention to modernise workplace incident reporting.
What is RIDDOR?
RIDDOR is the statutory framework requiring employers, the self-employed and those in control of premises to report certain workplace incidents to the HSE. These include specified injuries, diagnosed occupational diseases and defined “dangerous occurrences”.
The current consultation reflects concern that the framework no longer fully captures modern workplace risks or operates with sufficient clarity and is intended to support regulatory oversight by ensuring that the HSE has visibility of serious incidents and emerging risk patterns. The proposals indicate a move towards broader reporting obligations, enhanced regulatory visibility and a more data-driven approach to workplace safety.
Clarifying definitions and associated guidance
A central proposal within the consultation is to improve the clarity of key terms underpinning RIDDOR.
In particular HSE is seeking to redefine concepts such as:
- What constitutes a “work-related” incident especially in hybrid or non-traditional working environments;
- How “injury” should be defined and whether the threshold remains appropriate, as well as distinguishing between “personal injury”;
- Whether existing categories are sufficiently clear to ensure consistent reporting whether further clarification is required for terms such as “scalping” and “hospital treatment”.
The aim is to reduce inconsistent interpretation across sectors, addressing both under-reporting and overly cautious reporting. Clearer definitions are also intended to support more consistent enforcement and improve the overall quality of data received.
New and reintroduced reportable occupational diseases
The consultation also proposes to expand the scope of reportable events. The HSE is exploring whether the current framework sufficiently captures the range of risks present in modern workplaces, particularly in sectors like construction, manufacturing and agriculture. The proposed changes include the expansion of the list of reportable occupational diseases from 6 conditions to 19. This includes the reintroduction of nine previously removed diseases alongside the introduction of four new conditions: noise‑induced hearing loss, bronchiolitis obliterans, occupational allergic rhinitis and occupational contact urticaria.
Work-related stress and suicide were considered in the internal review for inclusion however, are not being proposed owing to the difficulties in defining them in a way that allows for consistent and reliable reporting across sectors.
Broadening the scope of accepted “diagnosis”
Alongside expanding the list of diseases, the HSE is also proposing to expand who can formally diagnose a reportable occupational disease. At present, a diagnosis must be made by a doctor registered with and holding a licence to practise from the General Medical Council.
The proposal would allow diagnoses by other registered health practitioners, such as registered nurses and physiotherapists. This would reflect modern occupational health practice and the wider range of professionals involved in managing work‑related illness.
A Revised list of dangerous occurrences
The HSE is also reviewing the current list of “dangerous occurrences”, defined near-miss events with the potential to cause death or serious injury.
The consultation considers whether this list remains fit for purpose, given changes in technology, equipment, ways of working or new types of workplaces and risks, such as offshore windfarms, hydrogen generation or the use of new explosives and chemicals. Potential revisions include new additions such as tunnels and tunnelling activities, falling objects not associated with failed lifting equipment, overturning of construction plant and uncoiling and projection of material to better capture modern profile risks.
This aligns with a broader policy objective of strengthening preventative reporting by ensuring that significant precursor events are consistently captured.
Improved reporting process
Finally, the consultation proposes a series of improvement to the reporting process itself, primarily through enhanced digitalisation.
The consultation proposes:
- Simplifying online reporting forms;
- embedding clearer guidance at the point of submission; and
- structuring data to improve usability and analysis.
The intention is to reduce administrative burden while simultaneously increasing the accuracy and consistency of reports. In turn this would support more effective regulatory oversight and enable to the HSE to adopt a more intelligence-led approach to enforcement and intervention
What does this mean in practice?
If implemented, the proposals are likely to result in:
- A broader scope of reportable incidents;
- enhanced data will allow the HSE to target enforcement and policy more effectively; and
- wider stakeholder scrutiny.
What should employers do?
Employers should consider whether they wish to respond to this consultation. Responses can be submitted here. Employers should also consider:
- Reviewing internal policies and procedures to ensure clarity on reporting thresholds and responsibilities and identify inconsistencies or gaps in how incidents are captured and reported.
- Train relevant personal and equip managers and health and safety leads of a clear understanding of obligations
- Strengthen occupational health processes to ensure effective identification and escalation of work-related ill-health.
- Seeking legal advice if unsure if a RIDDOR report is required and for assistance with report wording.
Conclusion
The HSE’s consultation represents a shift towards a broader, more proactive and data driven RIDDOR regime. While this is likely to increase reporting demands, it also provides an opportunity for organisation to enhance their understanding of workplace risk and strengthen preventative measures.
