As the year draws to a close, our Health & Safety Advisor, Vicki, has been reflecting on the key trends that shaped 2025 and sharing her insights into what employers can expect in 2026. From rising mental health-related absence and new legislation to skills gaps and inconsistent training, the pressures on employers continue to grow. Now more than ever, a proactive, safety-first culture is essential.

Key Health & Safety Trends in 2025

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental health-related absence, particularly due to stress, anxiety and depression, resulted in 320,000 working days lost in Northern Ireland, according to HSENI. Across the UK, the HSE reported 22.1 million days lost to mental ill health, accounting for over half of all work-related illnesses. The average duration of absence for mental health conditions is now the longest of any illness at 22.9 days.

The Mental Health Foundation estimates that poor mental wellbeing costs UK employers between £42 billion and £45 billion each year through presenteeism, sickness absence and staff turnover.

Prevention remains the most effective approach. This starts with mental health awareness training for line managers, creating mentally healthy working conditions in line with HSE standards, and providing early access to support such as Employee Assistance Programmes. Where an employee is absent due to mental ill health, maintaining appropriate, agreed contact is vital. This should be led by the individual’s comfort level and include regular updates on recovery progress and return-to-work plans. Supporting mental wellbeing is not only the right thing to do for employees, but also makes strong commercial sense.

Training and Skills

Research from Graham Coffey & Co found that one in three employees has never received formal health and safety training in their workplace. Slips, trips and falls remained the most common cause of workplace accidents, accounting for 34.52% of incidents, followed by cuts and lacerations (15.48%) and muscle strains (14.29%).

Where employees are exposed to risks such as manual handling, machinery operation or uneven surfaces, tailored training is essential. Employers must also ensure that staff clearly understand what to do in the event of an accident. However, concerning research shows that 20% of workers were unsure whether their workplace even had an accident book, while 7.5% confirmed that it did not. For workplaces with more than 10 employees, maintaining an accident book is a legal requirement.

Investing in training and prevention not only protects employees but also improves productivity, reduces time lost to absence, strengthens employer reputation and boosts engagement across the workforce.

Changing and New Legalisation

The Freight Containers (Safety Convention) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025: The new Regulations replace the 1992 rules to reflect updated amendments to the International Convention for Safe Containers, which the UK is legally bound by. Key changes include updated Safety Approval Plates, additional safety testing and strengthened examination schemes. They also introduce Authorised Control Officers (ACOs) and new guidance to improve enforcement and compliance.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025: Commonly known as Martyn’s Law, is new UK legislation designed to strengthen public safety by requiring publicly accessible venues and events, such as shops, schools and stadiums, to take proportionate steps to prepare for terrorist threats. It introduces tiered duties for standard venues (100–799 capacity) and enhanced venues (800+ capacity), focusing on security measures and staff training to reduce risk and improve emergency response. The Act was introduced following recommendations made after the Manchester Arena bombing.

New Sentencing Guidelines: The UK Sentencing Guidelines for Very Large Organisations (VLOs), in force from June 2025, require courts to set fines for serious offences, including health and safety breaches , in proportion to a company’s turnover. This move goes beyond standard penalty ranges to ensure fines deliver real punishment and deterrence, meaning organisations with turnovers well above £50m could now face significantly higher penalties that reflect both their financial strength and the potential scale of harm.

Safety Culture

It’s no surprise that organisations with highly engaged employees experience 63% fewer safety incidents (Gallup), but what does this mean for business owners? It means actively promoting a strong culture of health and safety through regular training, up-to-date policies, effective reporting procedures, and training that is appropriate to your business, whether that’s manual handling, first aid at work, or industry-specific risk management. Fewer workplace incidents mean your staff feel safer and better supported, and as a result, productivity naturally increases.

Predictions for 2026

• Rise in H&S prosecutions: In 2023–24, HSENI prosecuted 18 defendants, resulting in fines totalling nearly £600,000. During the same period, the HSE completed 248 criminal prosecutions, with three individuals receiving suspended custodial sentences for breaching health and safety regulations. The HSE’s latest 2025 report signals a tougher regulatory environment and a clear expectation that employers take proactive steps to manage health and safety risks.

• Rise in mental health absences: Mental health continues to be a challenge for employers. In the UK HSE Inspections will increasingly assess psychological health alongside physical risks, with proactive interventions targeting sectors such as healthcare, education, and construction.

• Building and asbestos safety reform: Recent changes to building safety oversight and asbestos management, including the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), have significantly raised the compliance bar for landlords, property managers, and operators.

• Climate Change and Environmental Safety: Climate change is increasingly recognised as a workplace safety issue, and by 2026 we expect a stronger focus on heat stress management for outdoor workers, greater attention on flood preparedness and emergency planning for extreme weather events, and closer integration of sustainability and safety within ESG reporting. Employers will need to treat environmental risks not as “acts of God,” but as foreseeable hazards requiring proactive management.

Proactive businesses that invest in strong Health and safety foundations now will be far better positioned to manage these changes confidently.

How You Can Prepare with Confidence

Here are three practical steps every employer should take now:

1. Review Your Current H&S Position
Audit your risk assessments, policies, training and reporting procedures to ensure they reflect current risks and legislation.

2. Strengthen Training and Reporting
Make sure staff know how to report incidents and receive regular, role-specific refresher training, including mental health awareness.

3. Get Proactive Expert Support
If your H&S hasn’t been reviewed recently, get professional support to stay compliant and inspection-ready. Find out more about how we can support you here.

Final Thoughts

2025 has been a year of growing pressure, heightened enforcement and increasing expectations for employers. From the rise in mental health-related absence and tightening legal requirements to stronger sentencing guidelines and emerging climate-related risks. The message is clear, health and safety must be a strategic business priority in 2026. With more inspections planned and harsher penalties for non-compliance, preparation is no longer optional, it is essential.

At BeyondSafety, we support businesses across Northern Ireland and Scotland to stay compliant, reduce risk and build confident, high-performing workplaces. If you would like help preparing your health and safety processes for 2026, our team is here to support you.

Call us today on 0800 111 4461 to arrange a confidential discussion.