Feb 2026
Newsletter February 2026
Key Topic of the Month Risk Assessments – The backbone of workplace safety! This is the key health and safety topic that is essential for any workplace!
Welcome Message
Welcome to February's Health & Safety newsletter. Each edition will bring you key topics, incident trends, legislation updates, guidance, updates and case law.
Do you have anything specific you would like to find out more about - please let us know!
If you need support or practice guidance on implementing any of the topics below, keeping your place of work safe then our team at HSE Advisor Ltd is always here to help.
Email us at: info@hseadvisor.co.uk
Key Topic of the Month
Risk Assessments – The backbone of workplace safety!
This is the key health and safety topic that is essential for any workplace!
Key reminders:
Risk assessments are the backbone of workplace safety
By identifying and managing risks you can:
reduce accidents
prevent disruptions
ensure legal compliance
Training and sign off of your risk assessments by all staff is essential.
Any changes to your ways of working or employee needs will need a review and possible update to your risk assessments.
Incident Trend Spotlight
This month we’ve seen increased queries around:
Noise Monitoring
Quantitative face fitting
COSHH
If your organisation would like support reviewing any of these areas, we can schedule an on‑site or virtual assessment.
Legislation Changes
Employment Rights Act 2025
The Employment Rights Act 2025 contains important changes affecting employment relationships. Amongst these is one which is a health and safety matter: the Act requires employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
Factsheet: Employment Rights Act 2025 – Overview
If you need additional support reach out to our HR team: sally.moore@hseadvisor.co.uk
Awaab’s law coming to Scotland
Legislation is being considered in the Scottish parliament which would require private sector landlords to investigate complaints of damp and mould within a short timescale, and take immediate action where necessary.
Read more here: The Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026
Guidance and Updates
The Built Environment Competence Hub
This Statutory Instrument is part of a number of Regulations which implement the Building Safety Act 2022 in respect of higher-risk buildings in Wales.
The Built Environment Competence Hub’, is a website launched by BSi which provides free of charge access to various standards, competence frameworks and guidance, relating to construction and building management.
Read more here: The Built Environment Competence Hub
HSE Inspection Campaigns from January 2026
Chiropractors who use radiation generators
The HSE are conducting an inspection campaign which targets chiropractors use of radiation when treating patients.
These HSE inspections will assess the chiropractor’s compliance with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17). These regulations protect employees and other persons from occupational radiation exposure.
The inspection will focus on these key areas:
Management and radiation protection
Radiation risk assessment
Engineering controls and maintenance
Contingency plans
Training records
Designation and monitoring of controlled areas
Local rules and radiation protection supervisors
Personal dosimetry
Companies that specialise in using radiation with chiropody should ensure that the above areas are reviewed and implemented.
Read more here: HSE Inspecting Chiropractors
Control of dusts in large bakeries
The HSE is carrying out a series of inspections at large bakeries across Great Britain from January 2026.
Inspectors will check that employers are properly protecting workers from the dangers of dusty ingredients including flour dust.
Exposure to certain dusty ingredients can lead to occupational asthma, a serious and potentially life-changing condition, with flour dust being one of the most common causes of occupational asthma in Great Britain. Exposure to other dusty ingredients, such as bread improver enzymes, can also cause respiratory sensitisation
Read more here: HSE Inspecting bakeries
Psychological safety
A survey of more than 550 UK workers reveals that excessive stress is causing a significant number of employees to make mistakes at work and forcing many others to take time off sick. The findings also highlight how elevated levels of stress are damaging the participants’ relationships both at home and at work.
Read more here: Elevated stress levels
Occupational Safety and Health failures
New research from highlights the link between OSH failure and labour exploitation and the need to recognise this, so that not only is OSH addressed, but also the underlying poor conditions and risks.
Read more here: OSH Failures are not just accidents
Nearly half of UK workers afraid to flag risks
A significant “silence gap” is threatening UK workplace safety and operational integrity
Read more here: reporting risks
Campaigners welcome work-related road safety charter in strategy to reduce road deaths
A "bold new strategy" to reduce deaths and serious injuries on roads by 65 per-cent by 2035 has been launched by the government, with a new National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses one of its key components.
Read more here: Campaign to reduce road deaths
Case Law
Dangerous staircase had rotten wood
After a visitor to a flat fell through a barrier, 11 feet to the ground, a landlord was prosecuted over the poor condition of the stairs and railings.
Read more here: HSE Press Article
Fall through stairwell opening
A construction company has been fined £60,000 after a wall collapsed, knocking an employee through an open stairwell onto a concrete floor. The stairwell was only partially covered with boards.
Ace Infra Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Read more here: HSE Press Article
Construction director fined over low standards
A construction company director and his company have been fined after failing to comply with multiple enforcement notices and for failing to suitably plan, manage and monitor construction work.
Read more here: HSE Press Article
Metal working fluid mist
A court has heard how workers at Tracel Ltd were exposed to mists from the fluids used in CNC machines, leaving workers at risk from lung disease and dermatitis. The company was ordered to pay £27200 in fines and £30,000 in prosecution costs.
Chemical manufacturer report dangerous occurrence due to steam release
Syngenta Ltd, has been fined £400,000 after it reports a high-pressure steam release incident caused by corrosion which affected the safe execution of maintenance tasks. The HSE found that one worker had a close-call and could have been badly injured.
Read more here: HSE Press release
4.5 tonne machine fell from forks in transit
A fork lift truck accident left an employee with a life changing head injury, a court has heard. Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaches of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 in connection with the accident in which a 4.5 tonne load slipped from the forks.
The company was fined £433,333 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32,500.
Read more here: HSE Press release
Entangled in machine
A court has heard how a man died after becoming entangled in an unguarded wire drawing and recoiling machine.
Stanley Wire Limited, pleaded guilty of breaching Section 2(1), Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay £6,652 in costs.
Read more here: HSE Press release
Abuse towards HSE Inspectors lands manager in court
A construction site manager, David Lane, gave a false name and forced his workers to lie, a court has heard. In total he was ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines, costs and victim surcharges.
Read more here: HSE Press release
Online Training Portal
We offer a range of eLearning on our HSE Advisor online training portal including bundles!
Course Bundle example:
The prices you see advertised will be discounted if you request them via info@hseadvisor.co.uk
Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s update.
If you need support with policies, training, audits, or risk assessments, please get in touch with HSE Advisor Ltd.
Stay safe,
The HSE Advisor Ltd Team