Is RIDDOR about to change?

A review of the workplace incident reporting process is underway, as a consultation on the regulations (the Consultation) was launched by on 7 April 2026. The proposals could mean a legal duty to report incidents and industrial diseases that did not have to be reported previously.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) is a set of regulations requiring employers, those that are self-employed and employees to report certain workplace incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). To understand what is currently reportable under RIDDOR, read our article on RIDDOR, which explains this in depth.

Since the current regulations were introduced in 2013, sectors and technologies have evolved significantly, and new working environments have emerged. The Consultation signals an intention to modernise RIDDOR to reflect this. 

In March 2025, the Government published the ‘New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’ paper, which recognised that regulations can be too complex, meaning businesses can suffer from a lack of certainty; this can stifle progress and innovation. This paper also identified potential high administrative costs arising from activities such as overly onerous reporting requirements. The Consultation will therefore identify whether the HSE’s RIDDOR reporting process can be streamlined to reduce administrative burdens and account for modern working practices. 

The HSE is requesting views on the following points:

1. Clarification of definitions in Regulation 2 of RIDDOR and associated guidance, where certain terms have been identified as unclear or ambiguous.

The HSE has identified certain terms which it considers currently contribute to a misunderstanding of the regulations such as “work-related”, “routine work”, “injury”, “diagnosis” and certain specified injuries. The regulator proposes providing further examples and clarification to limit scope for ambiguity.

It has been suggested that inconsistent reporting arises from varied interpretations of these terms. Misinterpretation could lead to under-reporting of incidents that are legally reportable, which may expose businesses to enforcement action.

Over-reporting presents a challenge to small and medium sized enterprises, with 8.2% of RIDDOR reports in 2024/25 not qualifying as reportable. However, if the HSE presses ahead with suggested proposals, businesses could face more frequent reports to the regulator regardless

2. Revise the list of occupational diseases in Regulation 8 by reintroducing some diseases that were previously on the list and adding new diseases to ensure serious instances of ill-health are captured.

The HSE is proposing to update the current list of six reportable occupational diseases by reintroducing nine conditions from RIDDOR 1995 and expanding the list with four new diseases. Additional occupational diseases being proposed include asbestosis, (a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibres), noise induced hearing loss, occupational allergic rhinitis (allergic reaction caused by specific substances at work) and knee and elbow bursitis (painful swelling around joints).

It is notable that work related stress and suicide were considered for inclusion but are not being included. Whilst work related stress is described as a “serious workplace issue” by the HSE, the regulator notes that “its exclusion from RIDDOR is based on wider organisational considerations. It is difficult to define work related stress in a way that allows for consistent and reliable reporting across sectors”. Regarding suicide, only Coroners in England and Wales, and the Procurator Fiscal/Sherrif’s Court in Scotland, can decide whether a cause of death was suicide — so it is not considered appropriate for inclusion under RIDDOR.

3. Broaden the scope of accepted “diagnosis” in Regulation 2 to allow the diagnosis of an occupational disease by other types of registered health practitioners, not just doctors who are registered to and hold a licence to practice with the General Medical Council (GMC).

This proposal involves broadening the scope of accepted diagnosis for RIDDOR reporting purposes. The HSE’s rationale is that this could reduce the burden on doctors and could improve advice on fitness for work and adjustments by better utilising occupational nurses/specialists’ expertise. The suggested amends would also mean that employers no longer need to consult doctors to validate existing diagnoses for RIDDOR purposes, therefore streamlining the process.

4. Revise the list of dangerous occurrences in Schedule 2 by adding new categories and amending existing ones to reflect modern risks.

Dangerous occurrences are certain specified incidents with high potential to cause death or serious injury.

Since RIDDOR came into force, there have been significant changes in the way some industries work. The current list of dangerous occurrences, according to the HSE, does not adequately cover new types of workplaces and risks, such as offshore windfarms, hydrogen generation or the use of new explosives and chemicals. Proposed additions would include:

• Tunnels, including the excavation, boring or maintenance of any tunnel 1.2 metres in diameter or greater.
• Dropping objects, including the unintentional fall or dropping of any object from a building or structure under demolition or construction which could cause a specified injury to, or the death of, any person.
• Overturning of construction plant, including the overturn of any excavator, mobile plant, drill tig or piling rig which could cause a specified injury to, or the death of, any person.
• Uncoiling and projection of material, including any pipework, hosing or material which could cause a specified injury to, or the death of, any person.

This will likely increase reporting across on-site operations, particularly within industries such as construction. Several amendments are also being proposed to the list of existing dangerous occurrences.

5. The non legislative points being consulted on include improving the RIDDOR reporting process by simplifying the online form to reduce both under-reporting and over-reporting and improve overall usability.

As part of the Consultation, the HSE reviewed data between November 2024 and November 2025, which showed that RIDDOR reports are often completed incorrectly. Mistakes include the responsible person using the incorrect form and selecting incorrect categories within the form, or individuals other than the responsible person incorrectly submitting reports.

Proposed amendments include reducing the RIDDOR form questions, reordering questions, reviewing information boxes, reviewing questions requiring a free-text response and introducing flowcharts along with examples of completed report forms.

Conclusion and take-aways

The intended outcome of the Consultation is to provide a more targeted collection of data that reflects modern workplace risks and health conditions, to reduce instances of harm and ill-health, and provide more clarity around existing definitions and terminology to avoid potential confusion. It is also hoped that any unnecessary administrative burdens on duty holders can be limited by improving the reporting process.

Widening the scope of RIDDOR has potential to encourage more civil claims from individuals against companies. It may also add legitimacy to certain claims such as noise induced hearing loss, which is already frequently cited in such claims. 

A broader scope could also lead to more HSE investigations (with RIDDOR reports often being the trigger for these), meaning policyholders will require specialist legal advice at an early stage; insurers can expect to be called on to assist with funding this. 

If additional reporting requirements are placed on duty holders following the Consultation, clear guidance will be needed to ensure effective and streamlined modernisation. Understanding obligations moving forwards will be of vital importance, as failure to comply is ultimately a criminal offence.

You can respond to the Consultation, which concludes on 30 June 2026.