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Work-related Death Protocol (WRDP)

HSE and other regulators involved in investigating any work-related death want to work together as effectively and efficiently as possible. To help to do this, protocols and liaison arrangements between the various organisations have been agreed and recorded in the Work-related Death Protocols (WRDP).

In England and Wales the National Liaison Committee (NLC) own and review the operation of the Work-related Deaths Protocol for England and Wales (WRDP).

In Scotland the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is responsible for reviewing the operation of the Work-related Deaths Protocol (WRDP) for Scotland, with the help of the signatory organisations.

Two separate protocols are in place to reflect the different legal systems that operate in England and Wales, and in Scotland.

WRDP in England and Wales

Introduced in 1998, and last updated in September 2011, the WRDP sets out the principles for effective liaison during criminal investigations of work-related deaths in England and Wales.

There are nine signatories to the WRDP, these include:

  • HSE
  • the Office of Rail and Road
  • the police through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC)
  • Crown Prosecution Service
  • Local Government Association and the Welsh Local Government Association
  • British Transport Police
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
  • Fire and Rescue Services through the Chief Fire Officers Association

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Medical Devices Division became a signatory to the Work-related Deaths Protocol for England and Wales via an addendum[16] from 1 April 2012.

Investigating and prosecuting fatal incidents

WRDP signatories have a specific role in investigating or prosecuting work-related fatal incidents.

While the Coroners' Society is not a signatory to the WRDP, they are an integral part of operating the WRDP effectively. There is a Memorandum of Understanding between the HSE and the Coroners' Society which was last reviewed in September 2011.

Other organisations that acknowledge WRDP

In addition to the nine signatories, other organisations acknowledging the protocol and its principles of liaison are:

  • the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA
  •  the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
  •  the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)
  • the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)
  • Port Police Chief Officer's Association (PPCOA)
  • the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB)

WRDP in England and Wales

WDRP in Scotland

Scotland has its own version of the WRDP (PDF) [28]. The Protocol has been agreed between:

  • HSE
  • the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
  • Office of Rail and Road (ORR),
  • Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS)
  • British Transport Police

WDRP guidance in Scotland

Link URLs in this page

  1. How HSE regulateshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/index.htm
  2. Overview - Our role as a regulatorhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/our-role-as-regulator.htm
  3. Strategy policy and lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/strategy-policy-legal.htm
  4. Advice and guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/advice-information-guidance.htm
  5. Influencing and engaginghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/influencing-engaging.htm
  6. Permissioning and licensinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/permissioning-licensing.htm
  7. How we inspecthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/how-we-inspect.htm
  8. When and how we investigate https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/when-how-investigate.htm
  9. Overview - Enforcement actionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcement.htm
  10. Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcepolicy.htm
  11. Enforcement Management Model (EMM)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcement-management-model.htm
  12. Working with other regulatorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/working-with-other-regulators.htm
  13. Expert guidance on risk managementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/expert/index.htm
  14. Register of convictions and noticeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/convictions.htm
  15. Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/resources.htm
  16. Work-related Deaths Protocol for England and Wales via an addendumhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/wrdp/addendum-to-wrdp.htm
  17. Work-related deaths: A protocol for liaison (England and Wales)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wrdp1.pdf
  18. Marwolaethau sy'n gysylltiedig â gwaith: protocol ar gyfer cyswllthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/welsh/wrdp1w.pdf
  19. Addendum to the Work-related Death Protocol Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Medical Devices Division becomes a signatory https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/wrdp/addendum-to-wrdp.htm
  20. Work-related Deaths: Practical Guide (England and Wales) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wrdp2.pdf
  21. Protocol Marwolaethau Cysylltiedig â Gwaith: Canllaw ymarferolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/welsh/wrdp2w.pdf
  22. Work-related Deaths: Handover Documenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/assets/docs/handover-document.doc
  23. Work-related deaths: Guidance on the timing of the criminal proceedings in a work-related death case https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wrdp3.pdf
  24. Marwolaethau cysylltiedig â gwaith:Cyfarwyddyd ar amseru camau cyfreithiol mewn achos o farwolaethsy'n gysylltiedig â'r gwaith (Lloegr a Chymru)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wrdp3w.pdf
  25. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the HSE and the Coroner's Societyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/agency-agreements-memoranda-of-understanding-concordats/assets/docs/mou-coroners-19.pdf
  26. Enforcement Guide England and Waleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/index.htm
  27. OC 165/10: Work-related deaths: liaison with police, prosecuting authorities, local authorities, and other interested authorities including consideration of individual and corporate manslaughter / homicidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/100-199/165_10.htm
  28. WRDPhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/scotland/assets/docs/workreldeaths.pdf
  29. Work-related deaths: A protocol for liaison (Scotland)https://www.hse.gov.uk/scotland/assets/docs/workreldeaths.pdf
  30. Enforcement Guide Scotlandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguidesc/index.htm
  31. OC 165/10: Work-related deaths: liaison with police, prosecuting authorities, local authorities, and other interested authorities including consideration of individual and corporate manslaughter / homicide https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/100-199/165_10.htm
  32. What to expect when a health and safety inspector callshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsc14.htm
  33. Regulation of health and safety at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse51.htm
  34. Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcepolicy.htm
  35. Enforcement Management Model (EMM)https://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcement-management-model.htm
  36. Enforcement guide - England and Waleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/index.htm
  37. Enforcement guide - Scotlandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguidesc/index.htm
  38. Fee for intervention (FFI)https://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/index.htm

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Updated 2022-11-09