UK Health and Safety Executive News and Updates

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Construction mental health consultation launched

1 The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has launched a mental health in construction consultation.

CLC published this consultation after identifying mental health as a priority focus area at its Health Safety and Wellbeing Summit in July.

As part of CLC’s wider Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy, the aim of the project is to create an environment that fosters better mental health for the people that work in the UK construction industry.

The CLC held a series of focus groups across England, in partnership with Mates in Mind and the University of Warwick, to identify the primary root causes for poor mental health in construction.

The consultation:

details those root causes and invites industry stakeholders for views on what can be done to eliminate or reduce them
focuses on the measures that the construction industry can take to reduce the future likelihood of poor mental health in the sector

CLC want to hear your views and ambitions for how the industry can collectively come together to reduce or eliminate the challenges colleagues and friends are experiencing across the sector. You can:

complete the consultation, which is open until 5 November 2025
visit the CLC website to read further information and to download a site poster

2 More on mental health awareness in construction – Join the ‘Stop. Make a change’ campaign

This month, join our partners CECA (Civil Engineering Contractors Association) and the construction industry’s only nationwide ‘Stop. Make a Change’ campaign. This is where companies temporarily cease work to focus on improving mental health, safety, and wellbeing for everyone in the sector.

Since 2017, over 500,000 employers and employees have participated to address serious mental health challenges facing the industry’s workforce.

Get involved at Stop. Make a Change.

3 HSE inspections in garages and bodyshops to tackle occupational asthma risks -HSE inspectors are now visiting motor vehicle repair businesses to check protection measures against isocyanate exposure.

The inspections focus on ensuring effective controls, procedures and monitoring are in place to protect workers from the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK.Isocyanates are chemicals used to harden paints, coatings, lacquers and finishes. Every year, many skilled vehicle paint sprayers develop this life-changing disease, forcing them to leave their profession permanently. Read about the risks, control measures and how to monitor workers’ health on our campaign website: Isocyanates awareness.

There are also further details about the inspections in our news article: HSE launches workplace safety inspections for motor vehicle repair.

4 Refreshed offshore oil and gas website -Our webpages for the offshore oil and gas industry have been updated, offering a streamlined and enhanced experience for visitors.

The updates will help all those working in the industry comply with health and safety law as they:

bring the guidance up to date
remove obsolete or duplicated information
make it easier for users to find and understand the content they need

The most significant change is bringing previously separate content on the Offshore Major Accident Regulator (OMAR) into the main offshore website. This will help dutyholders access information on the role of the UK’s offshore competent authority.

Visit the updated offshore oil and gas website.

5 Call for evidence on lifting equipment and pressure systems regulations – HSE has begun work to review both the:

This review was announced by the Treasury under the Regulatory Action Programme (RAP). This is a government initiative to reform the UK’s regulatory landscape in support of economic growth, innovation and business productivity.

6 Call for Evidence – HSE has launched a Call for Evidence as part of our review, which is now open for comments.

The purpose is to:

understand whether any aspects of the regulations impose administrative or financial burdens that do not clearly support risk reduction
identify areas where the regulations may no longer reflect current practice or technological developments
explore whether there is scope to improve clarity or effectiveness

The information will help determine if the regulations remain proportionate and responsive to emerging technologies.

Your perspectives will be invaluable in shaping the future of these regulations. We encourage participation and sharing this opportunity with relevant colleagues.

How to participate

There are 2 separate Calls for Evidence. Find out more and give your views:

The closing date for comments is 11 November 2025

7 Free webinar: Achieving safety culture excellence – Wednesday 22 October, 10:30am

Primarily aimed at the waste and recycling sector, in this webinar you’ll discover the ASCENT (Achieving Safety Culture Excellence Now and Tomorrow) programme.

ASCENT is a practical, evidence-based approach designed to help organisations build and sustain a strong safety culture, now and into the future.

Register for the webinar: Achieving safety culture excellence

8 Managing the risk of working at height – Falls when working at height are the most common kind of workplace fatality.

HSE’s latest figures for work-related fatalities in Great Britain show that 35 workers were killed in falls from height in 2024 to 2025.

Make sure you put sensible and proportionate measures in place to manage the risks of working at height.

Our step-by-step guide to working at height can help you control the risks.

Scaffolding – It is vital to make sure any scaffolding is stable and safe at all times.

Our scaffolds guidance explains when a scaffold design is required. It also covers the level of training and competence needed for those erecting, dismantling, altering, inspecting and supervising scaffolding.

Ladders

Ladders and stepladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, but they should not automatically be your first choice.

To help you make sure that you use the right type of ladder, and know how to use it safely, our website has guidance on safe use of ladders and stepladders at work.

Safety Climate Tool 2.0 launched – The Safety Climate Tool (SCT) 2.0 offers actionable insights to help organisations manage their safety culture.

Created by HSE experts, the SCT measures an element of safety culture – the ‘way things are done’ in your organisation when it comes to health and safety. This is a significant starting point for any organisation to continually improve and raise standards.

The SCT 2.0 has been enhanced in response to user feedback. The updated version of HSE’s popular tool offers improved functionality and ease of use, while adding a number of new features which provide benefits and greater value to users.

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