The warning comes as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is now focusing far more proactively on workplace health as part of routine inspections, in response to a new 10-year strategy to reduce workplace ill health.

According to the latest HSE data, 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill-health in 2024/25, an increase of 200,000 from the previous year. Almost all of the increase was attributed to stress, depression and anxiety, which increased from 776,000 to 964,000 cases.

This costs the UK approximately £14bn a year and has led to an increase in workplace health-related prosecutions by the HSE, with 246 criminal prosecutions completed in 2024 with a total fine value of £33m, of which half was related to workplace health, according to Make UK.

The new HSE strategy focuses on six key areas: manual handling; display screen equipment, COSHH, noise, mental health and stress.

Chris Newson, director of environment, health and safety at Make UK, said that manufacturers need to be prioritising health risk management and control, whilst calling the move to place workplace health on the same footing as safety in terms of importance as “welcome”.

He said: “This will come up more and more when inspections take place and companies need to ensure they have sufficient processes in place to maintain workplace health and controls to ensure these processes are working."

“Failure to do this will leave them at risk of potential prosecution and, in extreme circumstances, shutdowns until the issue is resolved,” he added.