With logistics movements key to the future recovery of the UK’s economy, FTA, the business organisation that speaks for the industry, has campaigned successfully for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to amend its RIDDOR reporting guidance to avoid penalising businesses unfairly as they restart or scale up their operations under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the new reporting guidance, announced last weekend, employers must make a judgment based on the information available as to whether a confirmed case of COVID-19 in an employee is likely to have been caused by occupational exposure; this amend provides employers with flexibility to decide if submitting a report is required.
Elizabeth de Jong, Director of Policy at FTA, comments: “Following constructive discussions with HSE, FTA is pleased that the safety body has listened to the concerns of our members and amended its RIDDOR guidance to provide employers with greater flexibility to decide whether a confirmed COVID-19 case is likely to be due to occupational exposure, and as such, requires the submission of a report. Before this addition, our employer members were concerned that the lack of clarity on the guidance would have left them vulnerable to excessive or unfair litigation, as well as facing an administrative burden when resources are already strained. It would have hindered the return to work and created apprehension among both workers and their employers, impacting ultimately the nation’s economic recovery.
“FTA is fully committed to a safe and efficient return to work for all businesses across the UK economy, and especially within the logistics sector. A successful return to work must be built on trust and confidence right across business; we are grateful to HSE for adapting its guidance so we can get the UK back to work safely, effectively and quickly.”
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises to report occupational diseases, including COVID-19, among the workforce.
