The Health and Safety Executive has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
The initiative aims to strengthen asbestos management and enhance protection for workers and building users across a range of sectors.
The consultation focuses on ensuring independence in the four-stage clearance process, raising the standard of asbestos surveys and clarifying the definition of Notifiable Non-Licensed Work. HSE said it wants to improve confidence in post-removal safety and ensure dutyholders have the right information to manage risks effectively.
Stakeholders including dutyholders, analysts, surveyors and asbestos removal contractors are invited to respond before 9 January 2026. HSE said the proposals are designed to update guidance and ensure regulations remain effective in reducing exposure risks.
In a separate development, the European Commission has joined Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and the UK’s Ofcom in pledging closer cooperation to protect children online.
The agreement follows a roundtable involving senior regulatory leaders who committed to joint actions supporting safe and empowering digital access for young users.
A new technical group on age assurance will explore privacy-protecting verification methods and support independent research in this area. The Commission also highlighted recent enforcement activity under the Digital Services Act to tackle illegal online sales to minors and reduce harmful content pathways.
Meanwhile, the Building Safety Regulator will be established as a standalone non-departmental public body on 27 January 2026. The move will transfer the regulator out of HSE, ending a three-year arrangement and aligning with recommendations in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.
The new organisation will report directly to the secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government. All existing applications, cases and inspections will transfer automatically, with transitional support from HSE staff throughout 2026.
The BSI has also published the first British Standard aimed at addressing suicide risk within the workplace. It provides organisations with structured guidance on prevention, intervention and response, including practical toolkits, safety plan templates and recommendations for building psychologically supportive cultures.
Although not a legal requirement, the standard sets out good practice benchmarks that can help employers demonstrate robust mental health procedures. BSI said the guidance will assist organisations in assessing how effectively they manage suicide-related risks.
HSE has additionally released annual statistics showing that mental health conditions continue to dominate work-related ill health. Around 1.9 million workers experienced work-related ill health in 2024/25, with stress, depression and anxiety accounting for the majority of cases.
An estimated 40.1 million working days were lost due to ill health and injury, including 22.1 million lost to mental health conditions alone.
HSE stressed that employers must ensure they address risks to mental wellbeing as part of their legal duties and review their strategies regularly to keep them effective.
