Reflecting on 50 Years of the Health and Safety at Work Act

Why 2025 is a Crucial Year for UK Compliance...

2024 marked a significant milestone as it’s the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 50th anniversary.? This law has hugely transformed workplace safety in the UK and became a benchmark for health and safety standards worldwide.

The HSWA set foundational requirements for employers to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. Its principles continue to guide workplace safety practices to this day. Half a century later, the challenges of health and safety have evolved, with new risks emerging and the need for enhanced protections evident across many industries.

My interest in Health and Safety stemmed from the fantastic opportunity I had when I was just 18 when I was an Admin Apprentice. I absolutely loved the experience of working in a very experienced Health and Safety team. It was a pivotal time in my early career, and it was genuinely a tough decision to choose between pursuing a future in HR or Health and Safety as both were incredibly interesting.

Ultimately, I decided to focus on HR, but my passion for health and safety has never waned one bit, I continue to champion safety standards in every business decision I make. ?I’m fortunate enough to still have a hand in Health and Safety in my current role and combine my two professional passions by developing a software solution aimed at helping businesses stay compliant, and improve their health and safety practices.

As we enter 2025, and look ahead to the upcoming changes in UK health and safety law, businesses must acknowledge that staying compliant requires not only understanding new regulations but also embracing modern, reliable systems that are now available.? It’s not just about keeping up with modern times, it’s about having the tools at your fingertips that could literally save your business from being none compliant with the laws, but most of all, could improve your health and safety record to make sure that everyone who comes to your site, makes it home again to their families.?

During my early career, I was introduced to the horrors of what happens when things go wrong; the Flixborough Disaster (1974); Birds Custard Factory Explosion (1981); Piper Alpha (1988); all of these were avoidable, however they brought about significant changes in laws and regulations.?

The UK government is set to implement several key regulatory changes aimed at addressing modern risks, simplifying post-Brexit laws, and reinforcing accountability for employee safety. My question is, should we only be implementing positive changes when we’re told to, or should we be proactively championing safer working practices because we genuinely want to make sure that every person that comes to our site, gets to go home again to their families?

Next year, the legislation changes to watch out for include:

1. Full Implementation of the Building Safety Act Triggered by the Grenfell Tower tragedy, this Act addresses high-rise residential building safety. Investigations revealed that combustible cladding and inconsistent building management practices were primary issues, highlighting critical weaknesses in fire safety and oversight.
2. Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act This Act allows the government to retain or replace certain EU-derived laws, including some health and safety regulations. Simplifying these laws could make compliance more accessible, but the potential loss of well-established protections raises concerns, especially if companies rely on outdated compliance processes that may miss crucial updates.
3. Occupational Health Emphasis New initiatives emphasise proactive health and well-being support, addressing findings that traditional safety measures often overlook mental health and long-term health risks in the workplace.

Why Modern Systems Are Essential for Compliance

For businesses, the HSWA anniversary serves as a reminder of the progress made in the last 50 years and the need to continue moving forward. ?

Outdated, manual compliance processes are not sufficient to manage these new standards effectively. ?

Although we live in a very different world to what it was 50 years ago, most businesses still deliver vital safety information using powerpoint slides, ?possibly don’t have any checks in place to see how much of that safety training was genuinely understood and retained and struggle to coordinate everyone for refresher training a year later or even find the piece of paper that the person signed when they completed the training.?

I’m on a mission to help my fellow HR and HSE professional shape what fantastic looks like.? I welcome your input to shape our products and work towards a safer future for everyone!

Connect with me or my team and if you’re attending Anticipate in London in December, it would be great to meet you.? Alternatively, we’re exhibiting at SHW Live in Manchester in January, we’d love to help keep you and your business safe!

Follow our Linked In page to keep up to date with our new features and other latest information

#50YearsHSWA #HealthAndSafety

?