Health and safety | UK Regulatory Outlook October 2026

Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill introduced to Parliament

The government has introduced the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill, with its guide published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 14 October. It creates a new legal duty to on responsible entities to assess and fix life-critical external wall fire safety risks.

This applies to anyone responsible for a residential building in England over 11 metres tall, or with five or more storeys, completed before 28 June 2022. Deliberate failure to act is a criminal offence, carrying up to two years in prison or a civil penalty of up to £500,000, and liability extends beyond the formal duty-holder, reaching individual directors and parent or controlling companies.

Where enforcement does not resolve the issues identified, the local authority can apply to the First-tier Tribunal as part of a new "remediation backstop", which would allow the local authority to obtain a remediation management order to carry out the works the duty-holder has failed to complete.

The bill also lowers the bar for claims against construction product manufacturers under section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022. A claimant need only show that a product made more than a trivial contribution to a building being unsafe. The bill further creates a new register for "medium-rise" buildings of 11 to 18 metres, requiring duty-holders to register the building, provide key information and pay a charge. It also gives regulators new powers to compel disclosure of beneficial ownership behind opaque building structures, requiring duty-holders to identify beneficial owners and associated persons behind building-owning companies so the ultimate owner or controller can be identified.

The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 14 October, and the second reading took place on 27 October. Most measures take effect two months after Royal Assent. Businesses that own, manage or supply products into residential buildings should review their exposure under the new duty and the wider enforcement powers.

HSE launches campaign on workplace noise and vibration risks

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign urging employers to assess workplace noise and vibration risks, reduce exposure and protect workers from preventable ill health. The campaign aligns with HSE’s wider objective of reducing work-related ill health, set out in its 2022 to 2032 strategy titled "Protecting people and places".

It also complements HSE’s prevention programme to reduce vibration-related ill health, including its hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) risk reduction pledge. Prolonged or excessive noise exposure can cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. Hand-arm vibration can lead to HAVS and carpal tunnel syndrome, causing numbness, tingling, pain and reduced grip strength that can last a lifetime.

These hazards are common across sectors including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, utilities, waste management, engineering, maintenance, and entertainment and events, often arising from everyday tools, machinery and equipment. Employers already have legal duties to assess and manage these risks under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.

The campaign promotes a three-step approach: assess who is exposed and carry out suitable risk assessments; control exposure at source through quieter equipment and safer working methods; and, where risks remain, employers should protect workers through hearing protection, health surveillance and training.

Businesses with workers exposed to noise or vibration, particularly in maintenance, engineering or operational roles, will want to review whether their risk assessments and controls remain adequate. They may also wish to consider signing the pledge.