Health and safety | UK Regulatory Outlook July 2026

Martyn's Law notification requirements published 

The government has published the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) (Notification Requirements) Regulations 2026, following last month's update on the Security Industry Authority's (SIA) preparations for Martyn's Law.  

The regulations were made on 9 July and laid before Parliament on 14 July and are set to come into force alongside the substantive provisions of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, expected in April 2027. 

The regulations set out the mechanics of the notification regime, covering the timeframes within which responsible persons must notify the SIA, the process for submitting notifications through the SIA's online portal and the obligation to update the SIA where previously notified information ceases to be accurate. 

Separately, the Tribunal Procedure Committee has consulted on procedural rule changes to accommodate section 11 applications to the First-tier Tribunal, covering matters such as whether premises fall within scope and who bears compliance responsibility. Responses closed on 27 July.  

Organisations with premises or events that may fall within the scope of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 will need to consider what steps are needed to comply ahead of its expected April 2027 commencement. 

HSE prohibition notices signal higher bar for occupational health compliance 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued its first prohibition notice against an occupational health service provider, after finding that health surveillance was being carried out by inadequately trained, unqualified and unsupervised personnel, creating a risk of serious and irreversible harm to workers exposed to wood dust and noise. A subsequent improvement notice followed, citing inadequate clinical governance, no quality assurance processes and no procedures for escalating adverse findings. 

HSE made clear that it expects occupational health providers to demonstrate genuine competence and robust clinical governance. For employers, the notice is a reminder that appointing an occupational health provider does not discharge the underlying legal obligation: businesses should satisfy themselves that any provider they use is capable of meeting the required standard. 

Separately, HSE has served prohibition notices on four companies as part of its nationwide inspection campaign targeting the use of engineered stone, requiring them to cease work immediately following serious failures in controlling exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust. The action follows HSE's publication of new control of substances hazardous to health, or COSHH, guidance effectively ruling out dry-cutting of engineered stone, with more than 1,000 inspection visits planned during 2026/27. Businesses working with engineered stone will want to review their compliance with the guidance ahead of further enforcement activity. 

MHCLG updates fire safety enforcement guidance to include secretary of state determinations 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has updated its guidance on enforcement and sanctions under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with the addition of a new section on secretary of state determinations.   

Where both parties agree that improvements to fire precautions are needed but cannot agree on the technical solution, either the enforcing authority or the responsible person may refer the matter to the secretary of state for an independent determination under article 36 of the order. The government has also published separate updated guidance on the process for obtaining such a determination. 

The updated guidance also covers the full range of enforcement tools available to enforcing authorities, from non-statutory verbal advice through to enforcement, prohibition and alterations notices, as well as prosecution and the circumstances in which individuals within an organisation may be held personally liable. 

See the digital regulation section for updates on online safety, age assurance and the UK Online Safety Act