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RIDDOR stands for The How much do you really know about RIDDOR (The Reporting
Reporting of Injuries,
Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations
2013 and it applies to all
workers and employers in the
UK – not just the gas industry
RIDDORExplained.indd 2
RIDDORExplained.indd 2 13/05/2021
of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
2013)? Steve Critchlow is a Fellow of IGEM and Principal Gas
Engineer at the Health and Safety Executive Science Division.
Here, he explains everything Registered Gas Engineers need to
know about this key piece of regulation
“What’s the point of RIDDOR, they won’t sufficient information to decide that
do anything?” the design, construction, manner of
installation, modification or servicing of
“RIDDOR is another pointless Gas Safe rule.” a gas fitting is or could have been likely to
cause the death, loss of consciousness or
“RIDDOR is doing the dirty on fellow gas taking to hospital of a person because of —
engineers, and tomorrow it could be you.” (a) the accidental leakage of gas;
(b) the incomplete combustion of gas; or
Do any of the above sound like (c) the inadequate removal of the
familiar refrains to you? RIDDOR: most products of combustion of gas, the
gas engineers have heard of it, but approved person must send a report
how many of us fully understand what of that information to the Executive in
it is and its implications? Did we pay an approved manner within 14 days of
attention when it was mentioned during acquiring that information.
the boring bits of ACS? So, ignore any mythology you may
The first thing to understand is that have heard about RIDDOR. The full
RIDDOR is a law and compliance is regulation that applies to Registered
therefore not optional. Its requirements Gas Engineers is quoted above. So
are legal and those that do not follow maybe just take a read through it again
them are therefore breaking the law. As and we will break it down.
such, you should be aware of what the Firstly, it’s all about the condition of
law is demanding of you. ‘gas fittings’ as defined by the Gas Safety
RIDDOR stands for The Reporting (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous (GSIUR), which includes appliances,
Occurrences Regulations 2013 and it meters, valves and pipework, etc.
applies to all workers and employers Now let’s consider the bit that says
in the UK – not just the gas industry. It “could have been likely to cause the death,
places duties on employers to report loss of consciousness or taking to hospital of
specific incidents and injuries that a person”. Does that sound familiar? Well,
occur at work, such that HSE, the yes, it’s pretty much the definition of
regulator of health and safety legislation Immediately Dangerous isn’t it? There’s
in the UK, can investigate where a key difference however, because
appropriate and be made aware of RIDDOR 11(2) is not concerned with
specific trends, whether that is within fittings that are immediately dangerous
a particular workplace or reoccurring just because they are very old and
injuries from a particular cause. unmaintained (you’ll see this termed
RIDDOR has some industry specific ‘lack of servicing’). It must be fittings
requirements for the gas industry that which are immediately dangerous
are quite different to those for other because of the way someone has:
workplaces. RIDDOR 11(1) applies installed them, or
specifically for the gas conveyors, so we adjusted, modified or serviced them,
don’t need to discuss that now, and we or
certainly don’t want to confuse those perhaps because the basic design or
with the requirements placed on us as way it in which it was manufactured
gas engineers. RIDDOR 11(2) applies to is flawed.
Registered Gas Engineers - that’s us! But, as mentioned, it does not cover
As the point of this discussion is to those which are dangerous because
ensure everyone knows exactly what they have not been looked after.
RIDDOR requires, let’s not bother Think of it as an immediately
ourselves with any of the large number dangerous defect which arises as a
of interpretations that appear in gas result of workmanship someone has
industry documents. After all, they are performed and consider these examples:
an interpretation and someone else’s 1. If a gas leak exceeds the permissible
opinion. Instead, let’s go straight to the limits set out by the IGEM UP/1
exact wording of the regulation – the standards, and if that leak was caused
letter of the law. by poor workmanship, then it must be
“(2) Where an approved person has reported under RIDDOR 11(2).
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