Replacement guide
The HSE Fatigue Risk Index tool was retired in 2021. Here is what replaces it.
Same algorithm. Modern interface. PDF compliance report. Audit log. No Excel required.
What happened to the HSE tool?
The HSE withdrew their FRI Excel spreadsheet in June 2021. The platform it ran on was no longer supported. The HSE also found the tool was being misused to justify rotas that clearly needed intervention. It is no longer available on the HSE website and has not been replaced by an official HSE tool.
The underlying algorithm, published in HSE Research Report RR446, remains the HSE standard for fatigue risk assessment. The tool is gone. The methodology is not.
What most organisations do instead
Most organisations either use an old downloaded copy that no longer receives updates, built their own spreadsheet approximation, or stopped scoring rotas altogether. None of these options produce an auditable PDF output, version-controlled records, or plain-English flags your managers can act on. And none of them demonstrate to CQC, DVSA, or a Traffic Commissioner that you have an active, monitored system. From 6 April 2026, Section 35 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 formally requires all employers to keep working time records. RotaPulse satisfies that obligation automatically.
What RotaPulse does differently
Same algorithm
RotaPulse implements HSE RR446 directly. Every score is computed from the published FRI formula. The engine version is stored alongside every result so any score can be reproduced.
Plain-English output
Instead of a number between 0 and 100, you see: “Seventh consecutive shift”, “Night shift after 9 hours rest”, “Over 60 hours in 7 days”. Your managers can act on this directly.
PDF compliance report
Every scored rota can be exported as a PDF. The report documents risk scores, plain-English flags, and the engine version used. Accepted as H&S audit evidence.
Versioned audit log
Every scored rota is timestamped and stored with its inputs. If an inspector asks what your rota looked like six months ago, the answer is in the log.
Suggested rota fixes
RotaPulse detects exactly which shifts breach the rules and proposes the smallest change that resolves them: extend a break, shorten a shift, or delay a start. A spreadsheet flags problems. RotaPulse tells you how to fix them.
Side by side
| HSE Excel (retired) | RotaPulse | |
|---|---|---|
| Algorithm | HSE FRI (RR446) | HSE FRI (RR446) |
| Price | Free (no longer available) | Free up to 10 workers |
| Output | Raw score, no narrative | Plain-English flags |
| PDF report | No | Yes (Starter+) |
| Audit log | No | Yes (Starter+) |
| Sector presets | No | Yes (healthcare, logistics, rail) |
| Suggested fixes | No | Yes (Growth+) - solver proposes exact change per shift |
| Still available | No - withdrawn June 2021 | Yes |
Replace your HSE spreadsheet. Free to start.
Same RR446 algorithm. Plain-English output. PDF compliance report. Up to 10 workers free, no credit card.