Health and safety | UK Regulatory Outlook February 2026

Government announces new powers to regulate children's social media access 

The government has announced plans to seek new parliamentary powers to regulate children's use of social media platforms. The proposed measures will build on existing online safety legislation, such as the Online Safety Act 2023, and are intended to be implemented more quickly than previous regulatory frameworks. 

The specific powers being sought include: 

• A requirement for tech giants to preserve all of the data on a child's phone if they die, supporting new coroners' powers (contained in the Online Safety Act 2023) to obtain deceased children's data in the course of inquests via Ofcom. Under this proposal, coroners would have to notify Ofcom of the death of every child aged 5-18 so they can ensure tech companies do not delete their data, in case it is relevant to the way they died.
• Minimum age limits for social media: enabling the government to set and enforce age restrictions for social media access, with implementation potentially within months of parliamentary approval.
• Restrictions on addictive functionalities: limiting features such as endless scroll and autoplay that are considered detrimental to children's wellbeing.
• Virtual private network (VPN) access limitations for children: making it harder for minors to circumvent age verification systems or functionality restrictions. 

Additionally, the government will amend existing online safety laws to ensure AI chatbot providers are explicitly within scope. This follows recent action to ban "nudification" apps and criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent, and regulatory intervention requiring changes to AI tools that could generate non-consensual images. 

The measures are being developed following a consultation on social media, with the government indicating it will act where evidence supports intervention. The proposed powers would allow ministers to respond to emerging technologies and platform features without requiring fresh primary legislation for each change. No timeline has been specified for when the new powers will be brought before Parliament or when specific regulations might take effect. 

See the digital regulation section for more details on the proposed measures. 

Martyn's law – Home Office guidance delayed to summer 2026 

As previously reported, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received royal assent on 3 April 2025 with a two-year implementation period, coming into full effect on 3 April 2027. 

The Home Office has postponed publication of its statutory section 27 guidance from spring 2026 to summer 2026. This guidance will detail how organisations can meet their regulatory requirements. Once published, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will consult on its own section 12 guidance setting out how it will exercise its investigatory and enforcement powers. 

To date, the following guidance has been released: 

• The SIA published "Martyn's Law: the SIA's new regulatory role" in November 2025.
• The Department for Education issued education-specific guidance in October 2025.
• The Home Office has released introductory materials including leaflets on determining whether events are in scope, top tips and a useful summary along with a myth buster document. 

Failure to comply with counter-terror safety duties that this legislation imposes on in-scope premises and events can result in fines of up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide turnover (whichever is higher), along with significant daily penalties and operational restrictions. Organisations should use this period ahead of implementation in April 2027 to identify whether their premises or events fall within scope, and review and update existing security and emergency plans. Free technical guidance is available via the National Protective Security Authority and ProtectUK websites. 

Covid-19 Inquiry concludes public hearings on societal impact 

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry concludes its final public hearings next week (16 February to 5 March 2026). Module 10 examines the pandemic's impact on society, focusing on key workers, vulnerable groups, the bereaved and mental health. The hearings mark the end of evidence-gathering before the Inquiry publishes its remaining eight reports by summer 2027. 

Public inquiries establish facts about events of public concern and make recommendations for systemic improvements, with chair Baroness Hallett expecting full implementation of her recommendations. Module 10 draws on extensive engagement including roundtable discussions with trade unions representing key workers, safeguarding organisations and business leaders from affected sectors. The hearings examine occupational health impacts on key workers, workplace safety measures across sectors, employer support for staff wellbeing, and how pandemic restrictions affected workplace safety compliance. 

Employers should monitor these publications for recommendations that may influence future health and safety regulations, particularly regarding pandemic preparedness, risk assessment frameworks and duty of care during public health emergencies. 

RoSPA launches OSH skills commission to address workforce challenges 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has launched an OSH Skills Commission at the House of Lords to examine skills shortages within the occupational safety and health (OSH) profession. Led by RoSPA vice president, Baroness Crawley of Edgbaston, and supported by Speedy Hire, the commission will address challenges including: 

• Recruitment and retention difficulties as experienced practitioners retire or leave the profession.
• Skills gaps created by increasingly transient, cross-sector workforce patterns.
• The need to integrate new competencies around mental health, wellbeing and psychological safety.
• Adapting to technological change, including AI and automation. 

The commission will operate through five expert-led workstreams focusing on recruitment, retention, worker consultation, wellbeing and culture, and technology in OSH. Each roundtable will be chaired by senior figures from organisations including Policy Connect, the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH), Unite the Union, the Society of Occupational Medicine and the British Standards Institution (BSI).  

The initiative coincides with broader changes to the national skills agenda, including the development of Skills England and a new post-16 strategy. 

While the Commission has no legislative powers, it aims to produce evidence-based recommendations for government, educators and employers over the coming months. Its final report will address how training, mentoring and competency frameworks can evolve to meet the demands of modern workplaces, with a particular focus on ensuring OSH skills are recognised as integral to productivity and national resilience. 

Building Safety Act – updates 

Single construction regulator: consultation launched 

On 17 December 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) launched a consultation on a proposed single construction regulator (SCR) to reduce fragmentation in oversight of buildings, construction products and built-environment professions, implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendation. The consultation closes 20 March 2026, with the government response expected in summer 2026. 

The prospectus published by the government envisages an arm’s-length body with operational autonomy but strategic alignment to MHCLG. It would build on the Building Safety Regulator’s current remit and bring together (over time) 10 of the 12 functions identified by the Inquiry: covering, for example, building control oversight, strengthened construction products regulation (including improved transparency such as a public test-data library), and new/expanded approaches to professional oversight such as licensing principal contractors for higher-risk buildings and mandatory accreditation of fire risk assessors. 

Next milestones include a construction products reform white paper before spring 2026, a call for evidence on built-environment professions in spring 2026 and a professions strategy in spring 2027, plus an independent review of the building safety regime to be commissioned by April 2027. 

Building control streamlining: telecommunications work in higher-risk buildings 

On 27 January 2026, MHCLG opened a consultation on streamlining building control requirements for fibre-optic cabling and mobile mast work in higher-risk buildings. Industry evidence suggests current Gateway 2 procedures are disproportionate to the risk involved and divert resource from higher-risk projects. The consultation closes on 24 March 2026. 

The proposals would reduce procedural steps while retaining safeguards on installer competence and fire-stopping quality, potentially through a competent person scheme; golden thread handover and Building Regulations compliance obligations remain. MHCLG has acknowledged the need to address unintended delays and signalled further consultations on minor building work and fire doors in spring 2026. 

Fire safety guidance for small businesses 

The MHCLG and the Department for Business and Trade have published a fire safety guidance collection for small businesses in commercial premises across the UK. The guidance outlines legal responsibilities under fire safety legislation, including conducting fire risk assessments, implementing safety measures for employees and visitors, ensuring these are maintained, installing appropriate fire alarm systems and ensuring safe evacuation procedures.  

It also details penalties for non-compliance, ranging from fines up to £5,000 for minor offences to unlimited fines and up to two years' imprisonment for serious breaches, and includes links to guidance on identifying responsible persons, making premises fire-safe and workplace fire safety requirements. 

Upper Tribunal confirms expansive approach to remediation contribution orders 

The Upper Tribunal has issued important guidance on the application of remediation contribution orders (RCOs) under the Building Safety Act 2022.  

In Edgewater (Stevenage) Limited and Others v Grey GR Limited Partnership (2026), the tribunal confirmed that RCOs can impose joint and several liability across entire corporate groups and adopted a zero-tolerance threshold for building safety risks. This decision has significant implications for developers, investors and corporate groups involved in residential buildings. For a full analysis of the case and its practical implications, please see our detailed Insight.