The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has opened a consultation on proposed changes to strengthen the Control of Asbestos Regulations and update guidance on asbestos management.

The consultation aims to improve clarity, consistency and safety across the industry, with proposed updates including:

• Clearer definitions of what constitutes work with asbestos, helping duty holders better understand their legal responsibilities.
• Measures to ensure independence and impartiality in roles responsible for clearing asbestos, reducing the risk of exposure during and after remediation.
• Improvements to supporting guidance to aid compliance and raise standards of asbestos management.

HSE is seeking views from contractors, building owners, employers, and others working with or managing asbestos in buildings.

Consultation deadline: Friday 9 January

FIS encourages members to read the proposals and submit feedback to help shape the future of asbestos regulation.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has released a new free standard, BS 30417, offering practical guidance on how to ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is inclusive, appropriate, and effective for a diverse workforce.

As the construction and fit-out sector continues to improve safety culture and tackle barriers to recruitment and retention, the publication of BS 30417 provides employers with clear, actionable recommendations on:

• Selection and procurement of inclusive PPE
• Fit testing and adjustment to ensure proper protection
• Training and information to support correct use

The standard is designed to help organisations meet their responsibilities under health and safety, equality, and employment legislation, ensuring that PPE works effectively for all individuals regardless of size, shape, gender or specific needs.

BS 30417 is available to download free of charge, providing an accessible resource for employers looking to improve workplace safety and inclusivity.

FIS encourages members to review the guidance and consider how it can be applied within their own operations.

Draft regulations have been laid before Parliament confirming that the functions of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will be transferred from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to a new executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), from 27 January 2026.

The new body will retain all current powers, staff and live cases managed within the HSE’s Building Safety Division, ensuring continuity while establishing the framework for a long-term, standalone regulator.

New Board Structure

The legislation sets out a new governance model, including:

• A Chair and three to eight board members
• Committees covering building control, industry competence, and residents’ views

This marks the first phase in the Government’s ambition to create a single construction regulator, as recommended in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report.

Licensing Scheme for Principal Contractors

Another key Inquiry recommendation is the introduction of a licensing scheme for Principal Contractors working on Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs).

Build UK recently hosted a roundtable with MHCLG to explore how such a scheme could operate in practice.

There was strong support for a system that builds on existing requirements, including the Common Assessment Standard. MHCLG is expected to consult on licensing proposals in autumn 2026.

Progress on Remediation

MHCLG has also published new data on remediation across residential buildings 11 metres and over in England, up to September 2025:

• 35% of the 5,558 identified buildings have now completed remediation
• A further 13% have work underway

The new Remediation Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will require landlords of buildings 18 metres and over to complete remediation by the end of 2029.

Progress continues on buildings with unsafe ACM cladding, with 91% now fully remediated.

The Construction Products Association (CPA) submitted a representation to the Chancellor of the Exchequer before the 26 November Autumn Budget on behalf of the UK’s manufacturers and suppliers of construction products and materials, recommending a number of key actions that the government could undertake.

Critically, the CPA makes clear that a positive government stimulus is urgently required to enable house building demand in the UK’s largest construction sector.

That argument was reinforced this week when the CPA published its latest Construction Forecasts, in which house building is forecast to remain flat in 2025 and rise by 4% at best in 2026, with risks heavily weighted to the downside due to the potential impacts of the Autumn Budget tax rises on homebuyer confidence and affordability, economic growth and unemployment. This follows on from falls of 14% in new house building completions and 39% in new house building starts between 2022 and 2024.

The CPA is now forecasting that house building will not even return to 2022 levels until at least 2028 and will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2029/30. Furthermore, the government is likely to miss its own targets by 30%, even before the potential negative impacts of the Autumn Budget on 26 November.

The pickup in construction activity that had been expected at the start of the year has not materialised. A high degree of uncertainty and affordability continues to hold back home purchases, which negatively impacted on home improvement spending as well. The risks and uncertainties around the impact of impending tax rises in the Autumn Budget in November have only intensified. This is likely to leave households, businesses and investors holding off spending and investment decisions for longer, which limits demand in the largest construction sectors.

Professor Noble Francis, CPA Economics Director, said: “Construction has already lost more than 11,000 construction firms since the start of 2023, and given the current low levels of house building and home improvement, we expect construction insolvencies to accelerate in 2026. A new positive, time-limited stimulus for house building demand is urgently needed from the government – particularly for first-time buyers – before insolvencies further damage skills and capacity throughout the construction supply chain, including architects, builders’ merchants and product manufacturers, as well as house builders and specialist contractors. Without these firms and their critical skills and capacity, any sustained recovery in house building will be more difficult, slower, and more expensive over the course of this parliament.”

Adam Turk, CEO of Siderise Group and Chair of the CPA added:  “Our industry has a responsibility to flag the likelihood of worsening job losses, skills shortages and manufacturing capacity unless this government acts to stimulate growth in this essential sector. This is not scaremongering but rather an honest reflection of what is happening on the ground.

“We have already seen house building collapse in London but are encouraged that government has recognised the crisis facing industry there and intervened to help.  That help is needed across the country now, with a particular focus on supporting new home buyers who are struggling with affordability.  Industry stands ready to build and support the government’s aspirations, with significant investments in people and capacity already committed by hopeful businesses since the 2024 election, but much of this could be in vain without a much-needed boost to the market.”

The CPA’s letter to the Chancellor can be found on the CPA website here.

Empire Square: Expanding the Scope of Contribution Orders

Supreme Court in URS v BDW: 30-Year Limitation

The Supreme Court’s decision in URS v BDW Trading Ltd compounds this risk by confirming that the BSA’s extended limitation period—up to 30 years for historic defects—applies to negligence and contribution claims. Contractors who believed liability had expired under the previous six- or twelve-year limitation now face a dramatically longer exposure window.

Practical Implications for Contractors

1. Contractual Risk Transfer: Expect developers to invoke indemnities and warranties aggressively. Contractors should review historic contracts and assess exposure.
2. Record-Keeping: Detailed project records from decades ago could be critical in defending claims. Contractors should audit archives and establish retrieval protocols.
3. Future Contract Drafting: New projects should include clear liability caps and dispute resolution mechanisms to mitigate long-tail risk.

“We are now working with a number of contractors where parties are seeking compensation for legacy works, some of it as long as 14 years ago. We have constantly repeated the message that Record Keeping is essential and this is certainly coming to bare for some.  All contractors whether main or specialist should have a strategy in place to deal with legacy claims and this factsheet provides a good base for this.  Remember you are not alone, we are here to help and help we can – the earlier you contact us the better and ideally before you have responded.”