The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued its first prohibition notice against an occupational health service provider after finding that inadequate health surveillance was putting workers at risk of serious harm. Inspectors found that surveillance was being carried out by staff who were inadequately trained, unqualified and unsupervised, creating a risk that early signs of occupational asthma, dermatitis and noise-induced hearing loss could go undetected among workers exposed to wood dust and noise. The notice required the provider to stop carrying out health surveillance activity immediately. The HSE subsequently issued an improvement notice after identifying wider failings, including a lack of competent occupational health oversight, inadequate clinical governance, no quality assurance processes and no clear procedures for escalating adverse findings or reviewing workplace controls.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued its first Prohibition Notices as part of a nationwide engineered stone inspection campaign. Four companies have been ordered to cease work following inspections conducted through the end of May 2026. Each company was found to have insufficient control measures to limit worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust, with additional shortcomings in health surveillance, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) provision, local exhaust ventilation and machinery guarding.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a major accident warning to offshore oil and gas firms, highlighting how they should look more closely at human factors. HSE has noted how safety critical tasks have the potential to initiate or escalate major accidents on installation, as seen in its inspection of oil firm Apace, where failure to consider human factors is what ultimately led to a fire and explosion in the North Sea. HSE issued Apache with an improvement notice, with which it has until 9 November 2024 to comply. HSE has said that many firms have Safety Critical Task Analysis (SCTA) programmes, however that these SCTA programmes include inconsistencies in the quality of assessments.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued its opinion on proposing the GB mandatory classification and labelling for lithium carbonate, lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide based on the scientific and technical assessment of the scientific data in line with Retained Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 (the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation) together with an assessment of the policy and socio-economic impacts on the UK. The opinion concludes that the mandatory classification and labelling for the three lithium salts proposed by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) of the European Chemicals Agency in its August 2023 report requires further consideration under Article 37A of the GB CLP Regulation. Therefore, no mandatory classification and labelling has been proposed. HSE justifies this on the need to consider the scientific issues raised in the RAC report in respect of reproductive toxicity. Furthermore, new information that require further assessment has been identified and this information could affect the classification of the three lithium substances.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new research project to map Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) impact on health and safety across all HSE’s regulated industries. The HSE announced this project via email, seeking feedback from industry professionals. The HSE hopes that the feedback will enable them to consider the risks and opportunities of AI use in industrial settings. According to the HSE, the information gathered will be anonymous and will enable HSE to develop a general picture of AI being used in the industry, not to identify use by specific businesses. The survey closes on 4 October 2024.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced the commencement of 1,000 targeted inspections of motor vehicle repair businesses across Great Britain, focusing on Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) compliance regarding isocyanate exposure. The campaign requires businesses to implement specific safety measures including proper spray booth ventilation, certified air-fed breathing apparatus, and documented clearance procedures. Non-compliance may result in improvement notices, prohibition notices or unlimited fines.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a call for evidence to inform its review of Approved Document A, which provides guidance on compliance with the Building Regulations requirements related to structural safety. The review seeks to collect evidence on areas of the guidance that require increased clarity, research, or further development. Although the review is proposed to cover the entire document, the primary focus is on removing references to the first-generation Eurocode Standards, which will be withdrawn on 30 March 2028, and revising it to reflect the second-generation Eurocode Standards. The call for evidence closes on 21 April 2025.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched two calls for evidence to review whether the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) remain fit for purpose. The consultations aim to identify and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining safety standards and to assess whether current regulations reflect technological advances. Both reviews form part of HSE's commitment under the UK Government's Regulatory Action Plan published in March 2025, which seeks to simplify and modernise the regulatory system to support economic growth. The consultations target manufacturers, importers, suppliers, users, owners, dutyholders and other relevant organisations. Both consultations opened on 1 October 2025 and close on 11 November 2025.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned people of asbestos and its future dangers. The HSE has said that although it was banned from construction 25 years ago, asbestos may be present in buildings built before 2000. It has launched a campaign, titled ‘Absestos: Your Duty’, aiming to ‘improve understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves.’ The HSE has aimed this campaign at anyone with responsibilities for buildings, to encourage them to comply with the law and prevent exposure to asbestos. The HSE has noted that this legal duty of asbestos management covers buildings such as museums, schools, hospitals, places of worship, offices and factories.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a public consultation on The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), which proposes several legislative changes. These include clarifying definitions within RIDDOR, revising the list of dangerous occurrences to better reflect modern workplace risks and updating the list of reportable occupational diseases by reintroducing previously removed conditions and adding new ones. Additionally, the HSE proposes to broaden the diagnostic authority for reportable occupational diseases beyond doctors registered with the General Medical Council to include other registered health practitioners. Non-legislative proposals include simplifying the online RIDDOR reporting form to improve usability and address issues of under-reporting and over-reporting. The HSE seeks views from businesses, employers, health practitioners and industry stakeholders across all sectors, with a particular encouragement for duty holders, self-employed workers and those controlling work premises to respond. The consultation closes on 30 June 2026.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched an eight‐week consultation on proposed changes to its chemicals policy in Great Britain, running from 23 June 2025. The consultation invites views on reforms covering the following key areas: the regulation of biocides, classification, labelling, packaging requirements and prior informed consent procedures for the import and export of hazardous chemicals. As part of the government's broader economic growth agenda, these proposals aim to reduce business costs by updating regulatory frameworks. Responses can be submitted via an online survey, email, or post.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a consultation on proposals to strengthen the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, SI 2012/632 and related guidance to improve protection for workers and building occupants. The consultation seeks views on measures to ensure impartiality in the four-stage clearance process following asbestos removal, raise the quality of asbestos surveys for effective risk management, and clarify the definition of Notifiable Non-Licensed Work. These steps aim to address the continuing health risks posed by asbestos, which remains the leading cause of work-related deaths in the UK, while maintaining Great Britain’s strong safety record. The consultation closes on 9 January 2026.