Following the latest common commencement date of October 1st, we’re recapping all of the legislative updates that affect health and safety professionals in the UK.

Building and venue safety:

• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025: Informally known as Martyn's Law, this landmark piece of UK legislation requires public venues to assess and mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks. Named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack, the law gained Royal Assent in April this year and has an implementation period of at least 24 months.
• The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: In August, guidance clarified existing 2022 legislation, explaining how and when routine checks on fire doors in qualifying residential and mixed-use properties should be carried out, how information is provided to residents, and various amendments regarding fire doors and seals.

Product safety

• ADR 2025 regulations: The new regulations cover the transport of dangerous goods such as lithium-ion batteries or asbestos by road. Significant changes to classifications, training, and documentation were introduced, and full compliance has been mandatory since July.
• Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025: Through secondary legislation, the government will now have the power to set future performance standards and hold online marketplaces accountable for unsafe products sold on their platforms. 

Other updates:

• Procurement Act 2023: Introduced in February this year, the act requires health and safety considerations to be integrated into all stages of the public procurement process. Suppliers convicted of corporate manslaughter face automatic exclusion from bidding for future public contracts, and those found to have engaged in ‘sufficiently serious’ misconduct can be placed on a central debarment list.
• Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025: Simpler recycling regulations allowing the combined collection of certain recyclable materials came into effect in March, aiming to reduce contamination risks and improve waste handling safety.
• Employment Rights Act 2025: A key part of Labour’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’, the bill is expected to come into effect in autumn this year. The bill includes a repeal of anti-strike legislation, new protections for striking workers, and changes to regulations relating to flexible working.

Looking forward to 2026:

• Employment Rights Act 2025 (continued): The rollout of the legislative changes accompanying the 2025 act will continue into next year and beyond. This includes a significant overhaul of employment laws relating to employee wellbeing, including changes to statutory sick pay, parental leave, and stronger protection against harassment.
• Artificial Intelligence regulation: The EU has already introduced laws protecting workplaces from AI-related risks, and the UK looks to follow suit in 2026. The HSE is already collaborating with developers to establish safety benchmarks and standards ahead of regulating the use of AI in UK workplaces
• The Building Safety Act 2022: Brought in following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, this act continues to evolve to ensure the safety of residential occupants, including those in mixed-use properties. 2025 saw a shift from encouragement to enforcement, and a planned Remediation Bill is expected to pass in the near future, bringing with it a legal duty to remediate within fixed timeframes to avoid criminal penalties.
• The Mental Health Bill 2025: First introduced to parliament in November 2024, the bill is expected to receive Royal Assent in 2026. Updates aim to reinforce the existing Equality Act and provide better support and reasonable adjustments for employees with mental health conditions.