Contractors will no longer have to report injuries which keep workers off normal duties for less than seven days.

The change to the current three-day accident reporting rule will see a 30% drop in form-filling for construction companies.

Officials believe the change to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) will see 30,000 fewer reports a year across all industries.

Contractors will also be given a longer period in which to report, increasing from 10 to 15 days from the time of the incident.

Employers must still keep a record of all over-three-day injuries through an accident book.

HSE Chair Judith Hackitt said: “The change to the RIDDOR regulations will cut paperwork, help employers manage sickness absence and ensure that the reporting system is focused on risks which have resulted in more serious injury.

“This is just one of many changes we are making to the health and safety system to make it simpler, clearer and more easily understood – stripping unnecessary paperwork out of the system without compromising essential protections for workers.”