As the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to evolve its approach to regulation, early indicators suggest that inspections heading into 2026 will place greater emphasis on how health and safety is managed in practice — not just how it is documented.
For UK businesses, this represents an important shift. Compliance alone may no longer be enough; organisations will increasingly need to demonstrate that their systems are effective, understood, and actively used.
Below, we explore three key areas expected to feature prominently in future inspections and what businesses can do now to prepare.
1. Risk Management Systems: From Paper to Practice
Risk assessments remain a cornerstone of health and safety management, but inspectors are paying closer attention to their quality and application.
Common issues identified during inspections include:
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Generic or outdated risk assessments
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Poor linkage between risk assessments and actual site controls
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Limited worker involvement or understanding of identified risks
Looking ahead, businesses should expect scrutiny on whether risk management systems are proportionate, reviewed regularly, and integrated into everyday decision-making. Effective risk management is not about volume of documents, but about clarity, relevance, and ownership at all levels of the organisation.
2. Asbestos Management: A Persistent Enforcement Priority
Despite decades of regulation, asbestos exposure remains a serious concern — particularly given the age of much of the UK’s building stock.
The HSE continues to take enforcement action where:
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Asbestos surveys are missing, inadequate, or out of date
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Management plans are poorly implemented
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Contractors are not properly informed or controlled
With refurbishment and maintenance activities on the rise across many sectors, businesses should ensure that asbestos risks are actively managed, communicated, and reviewed — not simply assumed to be under control.
3. Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready When It Matters?
Recent incidents across a range of industries have highlighted the gap that can exist between written emergency procedures and real-world response.
Inspectors are expected to look more closely at:
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Whether emergency plans reflect actual site conditions
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The adequacy of training and drills
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How lessons learned are captured and acted upon
Effective emergency preparedness requires regular testing and review. A plan that has never been rehearsed may not perform as expected when it is needed most.
A Shift Towards Proactive Management
Across all three areas, a clear theme is emerging: proactivity. The HSE is increasingly interested in organisations that can demonstrate anticipation of risk, continuous improvement, and meaningful engagement with their workforce.
Businesses that take the time to review their systems now are likely to be better prepared — not only for inspections, but for preventing incidents that could harm people, the environment, and the organisation itself.
