News & Articles

BSC United is preparing to take to the pitch at Goodison Park as part of this year’s Mental Health World Cup.

On Friday 22 May, a six-player squad representing the British Safety Council and Mates in Mind will step away from the office and onto the historic former home of Everton FC.

The team will compete alongside others in the Mental Health World Cup, a charity football tournament held across four Premier League stadiums to raise awareness and funds for mental health support.

Team captain Recheal Valderama, Supporter Development Manager at Mates in Mind, said the team is proud and excited to be involved in the event.

She explained that the work carried out by Mates in Mind shows the positive impact that good mental health and wellbeing support can have in the workplace.

By taking part in the tournament, BSC United hopes to encourage open conversations around mental health and help the message reach more people.

Now in its 14th year, the Mental Health World Cup has raised around £900,000 for charity since 2012, with all profits going towards organisations supporting people in need.

Team BSC is aiming to reach a fundraising target of £500. Donations will support the event’s partner charities, including Mates in Mind, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, Mind, and the Ollie Foundation.

The tournament at Goodison Park is scheduled to begin on 22 May at 10:00am. Supporters can also watch the official draw through the event’s YouTube channel.

The grand final is expected to take place at 3:22pm, giving BSC United just over five hours to make their mark on the tournament.

This year’s key tournament dates include Watford FC on Saturday 9 May, QPR FC on Friday 15 May, Everton FC at Goodison Park on Friday 22 May, and Millwall FC on Sunday 24 May.

The Mental Health World Cup began in 2012 after brothers Giancarlo and Gianpiero Gaglione lost their youngest brother, Lanfranco, to suicide.

They created the event in his memory, starting with a community football match in a local park to raise money for mental health charities and stand against suicide through football.

Fourteen years later, the event has grown into a nationwide volunteer-led charity tournament, bringing together teams and supporters at football stadiums every spring.

The BSC United squad includes Recheal Valderama, David Burton, Nathan Walker, Sazzadur Rahman, Niraj Majithia, and Martin Lockham.

The Health and Safety Executive has made clear that dry cutting of engineered stone worktops must stop, warning that employers who fail to control silica dust exposure may face enforcement action.

New guidance published by the HSE confirms that water suppression methods are now a legal requirement when working with engineered stone. These controls are already used by many responsible businesses in the industry.

The guidance has been introduced alongside a 12-month national inspection programme, which is already underway. HSE inspectors will target around 1,000 fabricators across Britain to check whether businesses are properly protecting workers from respirable crystalline silica.

The action follows growing concern about serious and preventable cases of silicosis linked to kitchen worktop fabrication. Previous cases involving young workers highlighted the severe health risks caused by poor dust control.

After two years of research and engagement with the industry, the HSE concluded that the most effective approach is to ensure proper control measures are in place and actively enforced.

HSE scientists found that dry fabrication can create respirable crystalline silica exposure levels five to ten times higher than wet cutting methods using similar tools.

The regulator also found that lower-silica engineered stone products are available at comparable quality, meaning businesses have fewer reasons to continue using higher-risk materials.

To support compliance, the HSE has published a COSHH guidance sheet specifically for engineered stone. The guidance explains what employers must do to reduce exposure and protect workers.

The required controls include using engineered stone with lower silica content, applying on-tool water suppression, controlling mist, providing suitable respiratory protective equipment, and carrying out regular health surveillance.

These measures are not optional. They form part of employers’ legal responsibilities to manage hazardous substances and protect workers from serious occupational disease.

The HSE says the inspection campaign is intended to make safe working practices consistent across the industry and to ensure that businesses following the rules are not undercut by those ignoring safety requirements.

Government and occupational hygiene representatives have welcomed the guidance, stating that it gives clearer expectations to employers and better protection for workers.

The HSE has also urged workers who handle engineered stone to understand their rights and the controls that should be in place. Workers with concerns about unsafe practices are encouraged to contact the regulator.

Silicosis is incurable, but it is preventable. The HSE has warned employers that the expectations are now clear and that inspectors will take action where businesses continue to put workers at risk.

The International Labour Organization has warned that psychosocial risks are now among the most serious occupational safety and health challenges facing the modern workplace.

According to a new global report, more than 840,000 deaths each year are linked to health conditions associated with psychosocial risks, including long working hours, job insecurity, workplace bullying, harassment, and poor work organisation.

The report also estimates that these risks create economic losses equal to around 1.37 per cent of global GDP every year.

The ILO report, The Psychosocial Working Environment: Global Developments and Pathways for Action, examines how the way work is designed, managed, and organised can directly affect workers’ mental and physical health.

Manal Azzi, team lead on occupational safety and health policy and systems at the ILO, said psychosocial risks are becoming one of the most significant challenges in today’s world of work.

She added that improving the psychosocial working environment is important not only for protecting workers’ wellbeing, but also for improving productivity, organisational performance, and sustainable economic growth.

The report explains that the estimated 840,000 deaths per year are based on two major sources of evidence.

The first is global data on five key psychosocial risk factors at work: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying or harassment.

The second is scientific evidence showing how these risks can increase the likelihood of serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, mental health disorders, and suicide.

These risk levels were then applied to global mortality and health data from the World Health Organization and the Global Burden of Disease study to estimate the number of deaths and disability-adjusted life years linked to these workplace risks.

The report also highlights that psychosocial risks are associated with a wide range of health problems, including depression, anxiety, metabolic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and sleep disturbances.

While many of these risks have existed for years, the ILO says major changes in the world of work are reshaping the psychosocial working environment.

Digitalisation, artificial intelligence, remote work, and new employment models may increase existing risks or create new ones if they are not properly managed.

At the same time, the report notes that these changes can also create opportunities for better work organisation, improved flexibility, and healthier working practices.

The ILO concludes that governments and organisations need to take proactive action to identify and manage psychosocial risks.

By addressing these risks early, countries and businesses can create healthier workplaces, protect workers, improve productivity, and strengthen long-term economic resilience.

The Health and Safety Executive is inviting businesses, employers, duty holders, and healthcare professionals to share their views on proposed changes to RIDDOR 2013.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 require employers and those in control of work premises to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences.

The proposed reforms are intended to modernise the regulations and improve how workplace health and safety risks are identified and reported.

The key proposals include expanding the number of reportable incidents, increasing the list of occupational diseases that trigger reporting duties, and allowing a wider range of healthcare professionals to provide the diagnosis needed for reporting.

One of the main changes would expand the list of reportable occupational diseases from six conditions to 19.

This includes the reintroduction of several diseases previously removed in 2013, such as asbestosis, pneumoconiosis including silicosis, and skin and respiratory beryllium disease.

The proposals also add new conditions, including noise-induced hearing loss, bronchiolitis obliterans, occupational allergic rhinitis, and occupational contact urticaria.

These changes could have a significant impact on sectors such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and other industries where occupational health risks are more common.

The consultation also proposes updates to the list of dangerous occurrences. New categories would include incidents such as falling objects from structures under construction or demolition, and the overturning of construction plant.

These updates mean that some incidents previously handled internally may become formally reportable under RIDDOR.

Another important proposal is to broaden who can diagnose a reportable occupational disease. At present, the diagnosis must be made by a doctor registered with the General Medical Council.

The HSE is proposing to extend this to other registered healthcare practitioners, including nurses and physiotherapists, reflecting the wider role of occupational health professionals in the workplace.

The HSE is also seeking feedback on improving the online RIDDOR reporting form to make it easier to use and to help reduce both under-reporting and over-reporting.

Rachael Radway, Deputy Director of Regulation at the Health and Safety Executive, said RIDDOR reporting plays an important role in identifying emerging risks, targeting regulatory activity, and improving the evidence base for workplace health and safety.

The consultation is relevant across all sectors and industries, especially for duty holders, self-employed workers, those in control of work premises, and healthcare professionals involved in diagnosing work-related conditions.

The consultation closes on 30 June 2026.

Eleven years after the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 transformed site safety, the Chartered Institute of Building is asking whether the regulations remain fit for purpose.

The CIOB has launched a short survey for professionals across the built environment sector to assess how effective the regulations are in today’s construction landscape.

Representing more than 50,000 professionals in the built environment sector, the CIOB said there is a feeling across the industry that there is room for improvement.

The organisation said this is particularly important in light of how the regulations now fit alongside newer safety legislation, including the Building Safety Act 2022.

Ben Powell, Chair of CIOB’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Panel, said the current CDM regulations remain a constant source of frustration for many people, including designers, contractors and clients, with varying levels of understanding around responsibilities.

He also raised concerns about the effectiveness of the regulations, particularly as the industry continues to see serious incidents such as falls from height.

“Just over a decade on from the regulations being introduced, we think it’s important to gather quantitative data on how they are being interpreted and applied throughout projects, and where appropriate how they could evolve to reflect the construction landscape in 2026,” Powell said.

CDM 2015 regulations are the main legal requirements for managing health, safety, and welfare on construction projects in the UK, regardless of project size or duration.

They define legal duties for everyone involved in a construction project, from the client commissioning the work to the workers carrying it out on site.

The CIOB intends to use the survey findings to develop recommendations for the HSE and policymakers on how the current CDM regulations could be improved.

The survey closes on 30 April 2026.

Up to 700 new Registered Building Inspectors will be trained to inspect high-risk buildings following £70 million in funding announced by the UK government.

Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy Samantha Dixon described the funding as a vital step towards building 1.5 million safe homes and implementing lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

“We’re boosting the building safety workforce to get more skilled building inspectors and fire engineers into the system quickly to keep people safe and unlock the new homes this country needs,” she said.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry found that key professions and trades involved in assuring building safety lacked the necessary competence. It also identified inconsistent qualifications, poor understanding of fire safety requirements, and an absence of reliable professional standards.

The funding will be split between Building Control and Fire Engineering. £55 million will support local authority building control teams in England to recruit and train new Registered Building Inspectors, while £15 million will support fire engineering education, bursaries, research, and academic development.

The Building Safety Regulator was established within HSE following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and became a standalone organisation in January 2026.

The regulator oversees building safety and standards, with a particular focus on high-risk residential buildings that are 18 metres or taller, or have seven or more storeys. It enforces a stricter regulatory regime, manages building safety during design, construction, and occupation, and regulates the building control profession.

Make UK has urged the government to fully implement the recommendations of the Mayfield Review, warning that workplace wellbeing and long-term ill health are becoming increasingly serious challenges across the UK.

The call follows findings from Make UK’s 2026 State of Wellbeing survey, which suggests that the scale of workplace health issues is growing rather than improving.

The report highlights a clear gap between how organisations manage physical safety and how they approach mental wellbeing. While 91 per cent of companies have risk assessments in place for manual handling and 80 per cent assess risks linked to chemicals and substances, fewer organisations assess wellbeing risks, at 60 per cent, or stress-related risks, at 48 per cent.

The survey, which included 250 senior decision makers and 200 shopfloor workers, also found that 78 per cent of companies provide training on chemicals and substances. However, only 54 per cent provide training related to stress, and among shopfloor workers, just one third said they receive stress-related training.

Chris Newson, Make UK’s Director of Environment, Health and Safety, said the UK has made major progress in reducing workplace fatalities and remains a global leader in health and safety. However, he warned that focusing too heavily on fatalities alone can hide broader issues linked to wellbeing and long-term illness.

According to Make UK, the current situation requires a wider approach to workforce health across all sectors, not just manufacturing. The organisation says businesses and government must give mental wellbeing the same level of attention as traditional physical safety risks.

Make UK is calling for key recommendations from the Mayfield Review to be implemented, including the creation of an accredited Healthy Working Lifecycle standard, new funding options for practical wellbeing initiatives, and a more connected approach between employers, government and the health service.

Newson added that workplace ill health creates significant costs across society and the wider economy, making it an issue that government cannot afford to overlook.

New research from Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England has highlighted a concerning gap in psychological safety across UK workplaces.

According to a survey of 2,000 working adults, 45 per cent of employees said they do not feel safe raising mistakes or reporting risks to their employer. The findings suggest that fear, stress and workplace culture may be preventing people from speaking up when it matters most.

The research also found that 49 per cent of workers do not feel comfortable expressing their needs at work, while 35 per cent do not feel safe asking for help. A further 15 per cent said they had made preventable mistakes because they felt unable to speak openly.

MHFA England says these results show that psychological safety is becoming an important part of risk management, employee wellbeing and business performance. When employees feel judged or unsupported, important issues can remain hidden, mistakes may go unchallenged and team performance can suffer.

Sarah McIntosh, Chief Executive of MHFA England, said that when people do not feel safe flagging risks or asking questions, quality, wellbeing and business outcomes can all be affected. She also highlighted that in a time of rapid AI adoption, organisations need employees to feel confident speaking up when they notice errors or risks.

MHFA England has launched a free toolkit for organisations ahead of My Whole Self Day on 10 March. The initiative is designed to help employers create healthier workplace cultures where employees feel able to bring their whole selves to work.

McIntosh added that small changes, from better manager conversations to more inclusive meeting practices, can make a meaningful difference in helping people feel safe to speak up.

The government's department of health has launched a 5-minute health quiz that reveals personalised steps to boost mood and energy.

After answering all the questions on a range of topics including nutrition, movement, alcohol consumption, smoking and mental health, users will get an overall score out of 10 with tailored advice.

The quick quiz is designed to identify what changes a person can make to their lifestyle to be healthier and signpost NHS resources to support this change.

Research from University College London estimates that 19 million adults in their middle years could boost their mood by making a healthy change. Increasing physical activity can improve mental wellbeing in just four weeks.

The quiz supports the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to shift the NHS from treating sickness to preventing it.

Health Minister Ashley Dalton said: “Taking this quick and easy quiz could be the first step for people to live healthier and happier lives.”

Dr Radha Modgil said the quiz helps people understand where they’re at and offers manageable tips.

To kick off the new year, the government will also be implementing a new digital NHS points scheme where people are rewarded for taking positive actions to improve their health.

Lawyers have joined unions to hail the passing of the employment rights bill into law as ‘the biggest upgrade on workers’ rights in a generation’.

The Bill gained Royal Assent last week on 18 December after a period of wrangling over some key details with the House of Lords.

Luke Bowery, partner at law firm Burges Salmon, said: “In passing the Employment Rights Act, Parliament has fired the starting gun on the biggest overhaul of employment law in decades.

“The Act will reshape almost every aspect of the employment relationship — from contracts to dismissal - creating new rights for workers and significant obligations for employers.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak called it a “landmark day for millions of workers”, with the Act representing the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation.

“It will deliver common sense changes like banning exploitative zero hours contracts, protecting workers from harassment and sick pay for all – and so much more,” he said.

Business and trade secretary Peter Kyle said: “This landmark legislation will drag Britain’s outdated employment laws into the 21st century and offer dignity and respect to millions more in the workplace.”

The Employment Rights Act introduces rights to guaranteed hours and payment for short-notice cancellation of shifts. It will bar fire-and-rehire practices in most circumstances, grant paternity and parental leave from day one, and strengthen workplace trade union rights.

The day-one right to protection against unfair dismissal has been removed as a concession to business and replaced with a shortened qualifying period of six months, down from two years.

New rights will start to be implemented from April, with the government publishing a roadmap with reforms planned to be introduced in a phased approach over the next two years.

The government said more than 15 million people across the UK would be set to benefit from the new worker protections, including 32,000 more dads and partners each year who will have the right to take paternity leave and 1.5m more parents able to take unpaid parental leave.

Employees going through the toughest personal circumstances will also be afforded dignity at work, with up to 2.7m employees a year gaining the right to a new bereavement leave entitlement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Act sets in motion an increase in living standards, supporting productivity and providing more security and dignity for people in work, adding: “When we said we’d bring work into the 21st century, we meant it – and today we’ve delivered it.”

Traffic wardens in one local council are being sent out to patrol in groups because of threats and abuse.

Milton Keynes City Council took the decision after staff issuing penalty tickets in Bletchley faced “abuse, threats, intimidation and physical abuse” from drivers.

According to the BBC, the authority said civil enforcement officers now often have to work in groups for safety reasons.

Pete Marland, Labour leader of Milton Keynes City Council, said it was completely unacceptable the council had to take extraordinary measures to protect staff because of the level of verbal and physical abuse experienced in the area.

“Officers are being deployed in teams of two and three for their own safety because they are doing work the local community is asking them to do,” he said.

Local newspaper MK Citizen reported that sixteen parking tickets a day have been issued in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford so far in December.

The paper said the figures reflect a crackdown on anti-social parking in the town, with enforcement action focusing on known hotspots.

The Labour council is also set to invest £30 million to improve the area, with plans including permanent preventative parking measures, better lighting and wayfinding, more trees, and bike hub lockups.

Marland said he hoped the area would become “nicer and safer” for people to visit, adding that parking had become an issue and that the council dedicates significant resources to dealing with illegal parking in Bletchley.

Senior safety professionals who can influence culture, lead transformation, and align health and safety with wider business goals are in growing demand by employers, recruiter Irwin & Colton have said.

Partner Michael Colton said construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing are where most of these roles are being advertised. These are sectors where organisations increasingly view safety as a “core ESG metric.”

Writing for the recruiter’s blog, Colton added that hybrid HSE and ESG roles are also on the increase, with positions blending safety with environmental and sustainability responsibilities.

Professionals with experience in carbon management, ethical supply chains, and social impact are therefore finding new opportunities in evolving, multi-disciplinary roles, he said.

The recruiter also said the percentage of new vacancies in health and safety rose by at least 10 per cent in October after a period of uncertainty reflecting an unstable economic climate.

“After a muted first half of the year, the recent uptick in hiring activity feels significant, not just a blip,” said Michael Colton. “Whether this proves to be the start of a sustained recovery or a short-lived surge remains to be seen, but momentum is building again.”

He added: “For both employers and professionals, now is the time to re-engage with the market, refine strategies, and prepare for what’s next.”

Pressure to drink at work events is contributing to widespread alcohol-related absences and reduced productivity across all sectors, according to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

From after-work drinks to subsidised bar tabs at company events, alcohol is often embedded in professional life. A quarter of workers said they sometimes felt pressured to drink when they didn’t want to, rising to 38 per cent among younger employees aged 18 to 24. Over a third said drinking at work events excluded non-drinkers or created cliques.

The culture is driving real consequences. One in three UK workers have called in sick in the past year after drinking at work-related events, while more than one in five reported working while hungover, and nearly a third observed colleagues being tired or sluggish after drinking.

While Gen Z may be drinking less overall, the report finds they are disproportionately affected by workplace alcohol harm.

Dr Jamie O’Halloran, senior research fellow at IPPR, said alcohol harm should be treated as a national economic issue, warning that high levels of sickness absence among young professionals represent a productivity crisis.

The research shows that nearly half of 18 to 24-year-olds reported calling in sick after drinking at work-related events, and over a third said they felt pressured to drink to fit in or progress professionally.

The report also found that heavy drinkers aged between 21 and 64 are over three times more likely to exhibit presenteeism, meaning they are physically at work but operating below capacity.

Despite the scale of the issue, most workplaces are doing too little to address alcohol-related harm. Over half of employees said their employer had provided no guidance, training, or inclusive alternatives, while nearly three-quarters believe employers have a responsibility to reduce alcohol harm.

The report calls for employers to create more inclusive workplace cultures, offer alcohol-free alternatives at events, and embed alcohol harm into HR and wellbeing policies.

Sebastian Rees, head of health at IPPR, said employers have an opportunity to improve wellbeing, performance, and inclusion by shifting away from alcohol-centric workplace cultures.

HSE inspectors made a series of proactive inspections last week in Manchester city centre to tackle ill-health on construction sites.

The 12 inspectors visited various businesses and sites on Tuesday 21 October to look at their management of health and safety risks, particularly asbestos, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), noise and dust.

Construction has some of the highest rates of MSDs, alongside transport and administrative work, says HSE. Previous inspections have also found that many noisy workplaces lack knowledge about using and maintaining hearing protection equipment.

Workers in skilled trades are at particular risk of discovering and disturbing asbestos when working on properties built before the year 2000.

HSE principal inspector Kevin Jones, who helped lead the team, said: “Manchester is home to some of the biggest construction projects in the country.”

“By its nature, construction is a high hazard industry. It can be noisy and dusty, with people often working at height and around heavy machinery and vehicles.”

HSE said inspections will be focused more on health priorities this year, committing to deliver 14,000 proactive inspections in its Business Plan for 2025-26. Of these, 8,000 will have to meet health priorities in asbestos, noise, MSDs and hazardous dust, and also mental health.

The goal is just short of last year’s total when over 14,700 inspections were completed, but a significant reduction on the 16,800 workplaces inspected in 2022/23.

HSE has also said it wants speedier enforcement of inspection findings, aiming to reduce the time it takes to instigate enforcement action and close out investigations. It said it will complete investigations swiftly and commit further resources only when there is evidence of likely enforcement or a clear opportunity for industry-wide learning.

Kevin Jones added: “We need to see that there are good control measures in place and that the health and safety of workers is at the top of the agenda for everyone.”

Younger workers feel they’ve been ‘cast adrift’ by their employer in the shift to home and hybrid working, according to a new survey, with a third of 18 to 24-year-olds saying home working leaves them feeling demotivated.

More than two-fifths of the 1,044 young workers polled by Opinion Matters for IOSH fear fewer face-to-face interactions are restricting their personal and professional development.

Even for those who attend the office every day, workplace relationships appear to have suffered. Of this group, 39 per cent reported that the shift towards hybrid and remote working has made connecting with colleagues harder.

The survey also found that a quarter of young workers feel cut off from their workplace community. One in six said their wellbeing has worsened, with more than a quarter reporting feeling disconnected from colleagues and workplace culture.

IOSH President Kelly Nicoll said businesses must do more to engage their newest workers so they can reach their potential and help businesses thrive.

She said managers should build in more structured supervision time and regular check-ins with young and hybrid workers, rather than only having contact once a month. This should include daily informal catch-ups and weekly and monthly one-to-one sessions to cover performance and wider issues such as health, safety and wellbeing, as well as mentoring, coaching and career development.

When asked what would help younger workers succeed, structured check-ins with managers topped the list, followed by wellbeing and mental health support. Young people also said they wanted clearer career development pathways and more face-to-face collaboration.

Writer and broadcaster Natasha Devon said employers should take retaining younger workers seriously to remain competitive, adding that understanding how Gen Z experiences work differently from older generations is a good starting point.

A Green Party peer has called for a new amendment in the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill requiring the government to publish a review of the impact of high temperatures on workplace health and safety.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle referenced the recent heatwave across Europe, which killed 2,300 people in 12 major cities, and said it was estimated to have caused several hundred deaths in London. She said the climate emergency means temperatures have been significantly higher than normal.

Bennett also pointed to an increase in so-called tropical nights, saying people struggle to rest and that this can have a cumulative effect on workers’ health.

Her proposed clause would require the government to consider setting a maximum legal temperature for workplaces, similar to approaches in countries such as Spain and Germany.

The amendment comes as safety representatives across the UK were urged to carry out temperature inspections in workplaces including factories, hospitals, warehouses and schools.

The TUC, which ran the initiative, is calling for a new maximum indoor temperature of 30°C and guidance asking employers to begin taking steps to reduce temperatures when they rise above 24°C and workers feel uncomfortable.

During inspections throughout July and August, nearly six in 10 reps recorded temperatures above 27°C at some point during the working day.

In over half of inspections, reps reported a lack of adequate ventilation, with some workplaces relying only on small desk fans or open windows.

Reps also shared accounts of colleagues feeling faint, suffering headaches, or needing more frequent breaks just to cool down.

The Employment Rights Bill is due to return to the House of Commons in September for MPs to consider Bennett's and other Lords’ amendments.

The Bill includes measures such as stronger protections from workplace harassment, efforts to end exploitative zero-hours contracts, new safeguards for parents including bereavement leave linked to pregnancy loss, and an expanded right to flexible working.

In a joint call, the TUC and a range of equality and advocacy groups said the legislation is badly needed.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on work practices was a significant feature of HSE’s AGM, where the regulator presented its work and priorities.

Questions were taken from the floor at the live-streamed event on 29 July, including from Rob McGill, national health and safety officer at Unite. He said there was excessive use of AI to monitor workers in workplaces he had visited and asked HSE what it was doing about the problem.

HSE chief executive Sarah Albon said monitoring workers was not ‘Big Brother’ unless its use broadened beyond the purpose of safety.

“Failing to wear PPE, stepping out of a safe area — AI can provide much more immediate, quicker surveillance which can protect that worker,” she said.

However, she added that communication and consultation should take place with unions in advance.

Albon said the regulator was compiling a database of real-world examples of AI across the industry sectors it regulates. This would be used as a repository to support the development of insights relevant to the risk assessment of AI applications in industrial settings.

Earlier, Chair of the HSE Board Sarah Newton told attendees that the regulator was also using different AI language models to understand risk profiles across the construction sector.

She said this helps HSE identify mismatches between the hazards causing workplace incidents and the risks inspectors commonly focus on during site visits. She added that this work had been expanded beyond construction and is being used to analyse risks within the major hazards sector.

HSE also said it is adopting new technologies and data analytics to target inspections, assess risks, and modernise systems.

Its continuing focus areas include asbestos, noise, musculoskeletal issues and stress, with newer work looking at the impact of “forever chemicals”, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fire-fighting foams.