HSE has launched a consultation on proposals to improve the application of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and guidance around asbestos management to help protect workers and building users.
The consultation aims to seek stakeholders’ views on 3 proposals:
- to ensure the independence and impartiality of roles in the four-stage clearance process to further minimise the risk of exposure from asbestos to workers and building users after the removal of asbestos
- to drive up the standard of asbestos surveys to ensure dutyholders have the information they need to safely manage asbestos risks
- to clarify the type of work that constitutes work with asbestos known as Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW)
Find out more about the consultation in our press notice.
The full consultation document, including detailed proposals, background information and how to respond, is available at our website: Legislative and guidance proposals for the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
The consultation is now open for comments until 9 January 2026.
Rough sleepers seeking shelter in large commercial waste bins face serious, potentially fatal risks when bins are emptied into collection trucks.
Simple control measures for businesses who manage large commercial bins and storage areas, and those who collect the waste, are set out in HSE’s guidance on our website. The guidance includes:
- increased risk factors, such as unsafe storage areas and bins being too accessible
- duties of waste producers and/or businesses managing bin storage areas
- what waste collectors need to do
- what you should do if people are found in bins
Read our guidance on preventing people getting into large waste and recycling bins.
Our news article has more information on these risks: A matter of life and death: why businesses must check their bins
HSE has updated our noise exposure calculator to enhance its effectiveness in helping employers assess hearing protection in noisy environments.
The new version features mobile compatibility and more precise calculations for hearing protection.
Key updates
- mobile compatibility: now optimised for smartphones, allowing easy access via Excel
- enhanced protection calculation: includes the HML (High, Medium, Low) method for improved accuracy
Why it matters
Recent inspections revealed that many employers failed to ensure that workers wearing hearing protection could still hear safety alarms.
The updated calculator helps identify over- and under-protection, ensuring safety alarms remain audible where necessary.
The original SNR method remains available for users who prefer it.
Visit our website to access the updated noise exposure calculator.
HSE has played a key role in a major research project that has been recognised with a national award for innovation in sustainable transport.
Project ZEST (Zero Emission Sustainable Transport) is an Airbus-led programme and has received the ‘Shaping the Future’ award at the Aerospace Technology and Innovation Conference 2025.
The 3-year project brought together industry and academic partners to improve understanding of how hydrogen can be used safely in future aircraft and aviation infrastructure.
Read the full story and find out more in our press notice.
We published our Annual Report and Accounts on Thursday 20 November.
The report shows how we’ve used our funding to help protect people and places as part of our 10-year strategy. Contents include a statement from our Chair Sarah Newton and Chief Executive Sarah Albon.
An executive summary is also available, translated into Welsh and in a large print version.
Visit our website to view HSE’s Annual Report and Accounts.
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