Stress Awareness Week 2025 (3 to 7 November)
Stress is a health and safety risk – and it’s the law to act.
As Stress Awareness Week 2025 gets underway, HSE’s Working Minds campaign can help you do so.
We’re reminding employers that work-related stress is a legal health and safety issue under:
- the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
In 2023/24, 776,000 workers reported suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. This made up nearly half of all self-reported work-related ill health, contributing to 16.4 million working days lost.
What to do this week
Use Stress Awareness Week to take action:
- review your stress risk assessment: make sure it is up to date
- use our Talking Toolkits: start open conversations
- encourage learning: signpost the free Working Minds online learning modules for managers
- look out for early signs like absence, low morale or conflict
- make it routine by treating stress prevention like any other safety issue
Taking simple, reasonable steps can help you stay compliant and build a healthier, more resilient workforce. Mental health is a health and safety issue – and must be treated as such.
Vehicle and transport safety at work
Being struck by a vehicle continues to be one of the main causes of fatal and major injuries in the workplace.
The figures for 2024 to 2025 show that 14 workers were killed that year when struck by a moving vehicle.
Our recent workplace transport press release outlines the common patterns behind reversing vehicle deaths and how to prevent them.
The workplace transport section of our website has a range of guidance, advice and other resources to help reduce the risks and keep workers safe.
You can also download relevant publications from the HSE website, including:
As a reminder of why these regulations matter, a company was recently fined £2.5 million following the death of a worker struck by a reversing skip wagon.
Call for evidence on lifting equipment and pressure systems regulations
HSE has launched a Call for Evidence (CfE) to review both the:
- Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR)
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER)
As part of HSE’s wider response to the government’s plans to support growth through the Regulation Action Plan (RAP), the objective of the CfE is to establish a comprehensive evidence base to inform viable opportunities for simplifying and streamlining regulatory processes.
We are inviting input from industry stakeholders, professional bodies, and organisations with relevant experience and expertise.
There are 2 separate CfE’s. Follow the links to find out more and participate:
The closing date for comments is 11 November 2025.
Face fit testing
Clarification on the use of extended ports
On 24 March 2025, HSE issued a short ebulletin following the publication of research report (RR) 1222: Face Fit testing of FFP3 respirators: the impact of sampling port location. In this, it stated the use of an extended port as a requirement.
While an extended port can be used, it is not a requirement. It is still acceptable to use a flush port to conduct face fit testing with an FFP respirator.
HSE’s publication Guidance on respiratory protective equipment fit testing (INDG479) provides information on how the various face fit testing methods should be performed.
Fit testing should be conducted by a competent person. Competence can be demonstrated by accreditation under the Fit2Fit RPE Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme.
Following this guidance and scheme is not compulsory and you are free to take other actions. But if you do, you will normally be doing enough to comply with the requirements of the law.
Accident and Near-miss Tool webinar
13 November, 11am to 12pm
Join this free webinar where HSE’s publishing partner, TSO, unveils the new Accident and Near-miss Tool.
The tool is designed to help organisations streamline incident reporting and aid compliance with RIDDOR requirements.
Register for the ‘Driving culture change with HSE’s tools’ webinar.
