In line with the extensive cutbacks currently taking place, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that their Infoline telephone service, used for reporting work-related injuries and incidents under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) SI 1995/3163, as well as providing guidance to businesses, will close on 30 September 2011.
Anyone required to report work-related injuries, dangerous occurrences, diseases or gas-related incidents, will need to use the forms found on the HSE's website, from 12 September.
The move to a strictly online service is an attempt to make the reporting process quicker and easier, and to reduce administrative and cost burdens on both businesses and the HSE. However, notification of fatal and major incidents and injuries will still be able to take place by phone.
Trevor Carlile, HSE's Director of Strategy said, "More than half of reportable injuries are already notified to the 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 the 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."
