HSWA Reforms: Concern, Caution, and Carrying On

This past week, the Government announced a series of proposed changes to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA). For many in the health and safety community, the reaction has been mixed: a sense of concern about what may be weakened, tempered with cautious optimism that clarity could reduce confusion and encourage better practice.

The reality is that no one enjoys change in this space. Companies have invested significant time and resources building systems around HSWA as it stands. Alter the framework, and you risk creating uncertainty and uncertainty often leads to hesitation; hesitation to invest, hesitation to report, hesitation to act. And hesitation, in turn, can mean greater risk.

That’s why it’s critical to remember the purpose behind the law in the first place: health and safety isn’t about compliance for compliance’s sake, it’s about people. Legislation, systems, forms, and procedures – they are all simply tools to help companies achieve the real goal; to make sure that everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.

What We’re Concerned About

Mixed signals: Any softening of compliance requirements risks being read by some businesses as permission to do less, rather than an opportunity to do better. This can created a loss of momentum: a “wait and see” mindset that develops that stalls the progress many companies have worked hard to achieve.

Focus drift: If the conversation is dominated by politics and paperwork, the real conversation of how to prevent harm and support people gets lost.

What We Hope For

Clarity, not dilution: If the recommended reforms genuinely make HSWA easier to understand then more businesses may engage with it properly and with more confidence rather than treating it purely as a tick box exercise.

Practicality: Clearer requirements should free up time and energy for more frontline safety work rather than endless admin.

Consistency: Companies need to know that while rules may be refined, the expectations around protecting people remain unchanged.

What Needs to Happen Anyway

Regardless of the legislative changes, the fundamentals of good safety practice don’t shift:

• Talking with your workers about risks and listening to their concerns.
• Reporting near misses and incidents, then acting on them.
• Managing risks before they turn into accidents.
• Building a culture where safety isn’t an add‑on but part of how the business runs every day.

Because here’s the actual truth; incidents won’t pause while Parliament debates reforms. 

Forklifts will still operate; trucks will still move; people will still climb scaffolding. The work will continue – and so does the responsibility to protect your people.

Conclusion

The government deserves the benefit of the doubt that these changes are intended to simplify, not weaken, HSWA. But simplification alone won’t reduce harm. What matters is how companies respond – by staying alert to change, continuing to do the work, and keeping their people at the centre of every decision.

At the end of the day, legislation is important but it’s not what gets a worker home safe. Leadership, culture, and daily practice do. And that’s where we all need to keep our focus.

Find out how Engage can help you keep your workers safe. Contact us today.