Corporate Social Responsibility - compliance solutions
In Brief
April 2026
More than a third of UK businesses are prioritising short-term accident prevention over a more long-term approach to ill-health prevention, a poll of 242 employers by WorkNest has found. While 51% said they gave equal focus to preventing accidents and managing long-term health risks, in practice, very few prioritised health risks alone. Just 2% said their primary focus was managing long-term health risks, compared with 37% who said they focused mainly on preventing accidents and incidents:
Richard Jones, head of policy and regulatory engagement, IOSH, examines the HSE’s new RIDDOR consultation and argues for the inclusion of work-related stress, suicide and serious road traffic accidents (RTAs):
Manufacturing company Tyco Electronics UK Limited of Swindon has been fined £340,000 plus costs of £5,145 after an employee sustained serious hand injuries while cleaning machinery at its site in Swindon in March 2023:
In a very similar incident, tissue manufacturing company WEPA Professional UK Limited has been fined £60,000 plus costs of £5,107 after a worker suffered crush injuries to his right hand while attempting to clear a blockage in March 2024. Despite daily blockages, the company failed to implement safe working practices as per the HSE’s guidance on safe use of work equipment:
A newly inaugurated facility near Mainz in Germany is setting a fresh benchmark for battery sorting efficiency to safely and reliably manage one of the industry's most demanding battery waste streams at industrial scale:
As more adults across the UK pursue autism and ADHD assessments, experts are warning that many employees are still unsure how to request workplace support they are legally entitled to under equality law:
Cardiff University has been fined £280,000 plus £11,745 in costs by the HSE after it found that two employees developed occupational asthma because of exposure to animal allergens in the workplace for a fifteen year period between 2008 and 2025:
Hazardex is offering four free-to-attend, one-day events for the process safety and hazardous area community. The events will take place in Grangemouth, Scotland – 24 June, Ellesmere Port, NW England – 23 September, Great Yarmouth / Norwich North, E England – 21 October, and Swansea, Wales – 25 November.
MM Flowers Limited of Huntingdon has pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act after a worker suffered life-changing injuries necessitating the amputation of a leg in February 2023. The company was fined £134,000 and ordered to pay £4,908 in costs:
According to the HSE’s guidance on health surveillance for hearing, employers must provide hearing checks for employees who are likely to be regularly exposed above the upper exposure action values, or who are otherwise at risk. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 are designed to protect workers from excessive workplace noise that could lead to hearing loss or tinnitus. Here is a list of 11 audiometry testing providers to consider in the UK:
Essex-based chemical manufacturing company Industrial Chemicals Limited has been fined £3.8 million plus £124,748 in costs following an investigation into two serious incidents in which employees suffered life-changing chemical burns. Workers at two separate sites were exposed to sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda, in 2019 and 2022. ICL pleaded guilty to two breaches of Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002:
March 2026
April 6th saw the arrival of significant reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025, including the expansion of day-one family-related rights, changes to statutory sick pay, reforms to the statutory recognition process for trade unions, and penalties for non-compliance. Employers are reminded to review their HR processes and compliance:
Two companies have been fined a total of £2,475,900 after two contractors were killed by oxygen depletion while carrying out pest control work at Banham Poultry’s site in Attleborough, Norfolk in October 2018. Banham Poultry was fined £900, and Air Products was fined £2,475,000 plus £83,359 in costs:
IOSH are calling for entries to the IOSH Awards, an opportunity to showcase your organisation’s commitment to excellence, innovation and impact in health, safety and wellbeing. The deadline is 17 April:
The Department for Work and Pensions has introduced the Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026, marking a significant step in updating Great Britain’s chemicals regime post-EU exit. The draft Regulations will now be subject to scrutiny and debate in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before they can come into force:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). The consultation is open until 30 June:
Huws Gray Ltd, one of the country’s largest building merchants, has pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1) after one of its workers was crushed to death by a pallet of timber weighing around three tonnes at Herringswell Sawmills, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in May 2024. The company was fined £2.2 million plus costs of £9,929:
The HSE is looking for an experienced scientist, engineer or analyst to Chair the Science Quality and Assurance Group (SQAG), which provides the HSE Board, Chief Executive and Director of Science with robust external assurance of the science, engineering and analysis (SEA) work which underpins HSE’s decision making. Applications close at noon on 17 April:
A public consultation has opened for a new international standard designed to help organisations manage occupational health, safety and well-being risks associated with remote working. The Draft International Standard (DIS) for Occupational health and safety management — Guidelines for remote working (ISO 45008) offers practical guidance applicable not just to home working, but to mobile roles, client sites and other remote locations. The deadline is 23 April:
standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com
On behalf of the HSE, and as part of the ThinkSHARP project funded by the UK’s AI Safety Institute, AI consultancy Emlyn Square is running a short (10 minute) survey to understand how engineering and safety professionals in critical infrastructure or process industries use AI tools to support decision-making and problem solving. Complete the survey by 17 April: AI use in UK infrastructure and process industries. In related news, the second International AI Safety Report, published in February 2026 is available here:
internationalaisafetyreport.org/publication/international-ai-safety-report-2026
It was Global Asbestos Awareness Week at the beginning of April. The HSE reminds dutyholders to proactively manage and monitor asbestos in buildings, necessitating accurate identification and assessment of asbestos-containing materials, robust procedures and arrangements for managing risk, ongoing active management and condition monitoring, effective communication and relevant training. Free guidance here:
February 2026
The explosion and fire which occurred at Buncefield oil storage facility, Hertfordshire on 10 December 2005 was one of Europe’s largest industrial incidents and remains a defining moment for the UK’s major hazards sector. Having toured the depot on the 20th anniversary of the disaster there, Saeed Ahmadi CertIOSH reflects on the causes – and the lessons learned:
Pesticides manufacturer Syngenta Ltd has been fined £400,000 following a dangerous steam release at its Huddersfield site in 2023. The company pleaded guilty to having failed to ensure that isolation valve and flange bolts were maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair – as required by Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER):
The UK government’s plan to tackle per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been welcomed by environmental experts, although questions remain over the effectiveness of the proposed methods to monitor and reduce pollution. A “major blind spot” was the focus on measuring PFAS concentrations rather than total PFAS load:
Workplace training provider Astutis sampled 553 UK employees for its Workplace Silent Stress Survey 2025 . It revealed that excessive stress is causing a significant number of employees to make mistakes at work and forcing many others to take time off sick. The findings also highlight how elevated levels of stress are damaging the participants’ relationships both at home and at work:
Two companies have been fined following an incident which resulted in the deaths of two workers when an industrial racking system collapsed as it was being tested at Castefields Industrial Estate in Bingley, West Yorkshire on 29 October 2020. Both companies pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974:
A poll of 276 HR, health and safety and compliance professionals has found that just under a third (29%) of organisations have committed to publishing a menopause action plan in 2026 or 2027, while most remain uncertain or unprepared. Under the Employment Rights Act, organisations with over 250 employees will be required to publish a menopause action plan from 2027:
Metal fabrication company Drury Engineering Services Ltd, based at Immingham Docks in North East Lincolnshire, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to exposing multiple employees to vibration risks at work. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and fined £44,000 plus £8,061.70 in costs:
The winners of the Hazardex Awards 2026, designed to recognise excellence in the hazardous area sector, have been announced:
Flowchem UK Ltd, a manufacturer of household cleaning products in Nottingham, has been fined after an agency worker suffered burns to her face, eye, neck and arm when she was doused in a corrosive sink and drain un-blocker after accidentally opening the wrong valve on a 1,000 litre container:
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has launched an OSH Skills Commission to examine skills shortages within the occupational safety and health (OSH) profession:
Two companies have pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches after two pest controllers froze to death in a refrigerator at Banham Poultry Ltd in Attleborough, Norfolk in October 2018. Sentencing is set for a two-day hearing starting on 31 March:
January 2026
Waste Management firm BusinessWaste.co.uk presents its views on the stories that shaped the sector in 2025, including the implementation of the Simpler Recycling for Businesses legislation, and a wave of closures in the plastics recycling sector, and looks ahead to what might improve matters in 2026:
The IOSH Awards are now open for entries. The closing date is 27th April.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently sought views on the application of a consistent UK-wide Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regime as part of the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation. The consultation response is expected early this year. In the meantime, the current GB CLP framework allows duty holders to self-classify against the new EU hazard classes and for HSE to evaluate proposals for substances covered by the EU hazard classes to be added to the GB Mandatory Classification and Labelling List on a case-by-case basis:
Syngenta Ltd, has been fined £400,000 after a maintenance worker narrowly escaped serious injury in a high-pressure steam release incident at its site in Huddersfield in November 2023. Syngenta Ltd is part of the Syngenta Group, entirely owned by Sinochem, a Chinese state-owned enterprise. The company pleaded guilty to having failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk as required by Regulation 3(1) of the The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999:
press.hse.gov.uk. The HSE has published guidance on the safe isolation of plant and equipment: www.hse.gov.uk
A series of large-scale experiments commissioned by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and carried out by the HSE has revealed fire safety concerns regarding photovoltaic (PV) panels. The research, part of a technical review of Approved Document B (fire safety), found that solar panels on pitched roofs can significantly influence fire spread, raising concerns for building safety and firefighting strategies:
A new policy briefing by waste advocacy group Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) argues for tougher chemical policy measures to be included in the European Commission’s upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA):
envirotecmagazine.com. Building a healthy circular economy: Integrating chemicals, products and waste under the Circular Economy Act, warns that disregarding chemical policy within the CEA will have significant health and economic costs.
Paper packaging manufacturer Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited of Nottingham has been fined £433,333 after an employee suffered life-changing injuries when a 4.5-tonne machine fell on him in October 2023 at their East Kilbride site. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1)(a) and (c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998:
A government statement has been issued on agreement to protect vital chemical production and hundreds of jobs at the INEOS ethylene cracker in Grangemouth:
Stanley Wire Limited of Penistone, South Yorkshire, has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and fined £140,000 after a worker died in November 2021 from becoming entangled in an unguarded wire drawing and recoiling machine:
press.hse.gov.uk. The HSE has detailed guidance on the safe use of work equipment and machinery guarding, including the requirements under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER): Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE
New international guidance designed to help organisations protect workers from current and growing occupational health and safety risks (OH&S) related to climate change has been issued by BSI, as challenges such as extreme heat, flooding and rising pollution affect billions of workers around the world. ISO/PAS 45007 is designed to be used by organisations with or without a formal OH&S management system such as Occupational Health & Safety (ISO 45001):
Twenty years after one of Europe’s largest industrial incidents, the legacy of Buncefield continues to shape safety standards across the UK’s major hazards sector:
A review published by policy think tank Good Jobs First reveals that workplace and environmental abuses may be going unpunished as enforcement has fallen to new lows following a “catastrophic” weakening of rules by government. ‘The State of UK Regulatory Enforcement in 2025’ states the most significant drops were seen in consumer protection, safety, and labour market cases. Total penalties were also down for financial and environmental offences. Download the report:
Hessle Plant Ltd, of Castleford, has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £433,550 and ordered to pay £8,146.80 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge after an employee was killed in a forklift accident in November 2023:
Ten of thousands of women across the UK feel unsafe, embarrassed and scared at work because they are forced to wear Personal Protective Equipment designed for men’s bodies. A survey of hundreds of GMB members shows more than 70 per cent suffer from ill-fitting PPE:
Across industries such as utilities, oil and gas, construction, agriculture, forestry and government, more employees are working in isolation or in remote environments where connectivity isn’t guaranteed. A free IOSH webinar on 29 January, 1-2 PM GMT, will explore the challenges, risks, and solutions for keeping lone workers safe:
Metal polishing company FMP West Midlands Limited, of Oldbury, West Midlands, has pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay a £2000 victim surcharge and £4,073.10 after an employee suffered finger amputation and crush injuries in July 2024:
The HSE has warned offshore oil and gas operators to improve their process isolation practices or risk serious accidents and fatalities. Following recent investigations, the regulator has identified recurring failings across offshore operations, including poor hazard identification and non-compliance with regulatory requirements:
From the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Equality Act, and the forthcoming Employment Rights Act, UK employers face a growing web of compliance responsibilities around mental wellbeing. Failing to meet those duties is a legal, financial and reputational risk. Watch a free IOSH webinar that examines the legal duty of care towards employees’ mental health, a support and reasonable adjustment procedure, and case law examples involving stress, anxiety, depression, and disability discrimination:
A group of c.30 workers have been suspended from Johnson Matthey’s Platinum Group Metals refinery construction site in Royston, Hertfordshire, after they downed tools over health and safety concerns. Two workers on the project have taken their own lives, according to the unions GMB and Unite:
Industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has announced a new safety policy for offshore workers. The Safe Weight Limit Policy comes into effect this November and is an industry-wide initiative between OEUK, HM Coastguard, helicopter operators, and member companies. The clothed weight limit for offshore workers under the policy is 124kg / c. 19.5 stone, including a 0.7kg / 1.5 lbs margin:
CSR Performance is totally focused on assisting companies and corporations to meet their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) targets. It does this by providing software solutions which assist the management of CSR issues at all levels within the organisation and which measure CSR performance against targets for defined indicators.
With over 20 years experience to call upon, it has long been recognised by our customers and ourselves that our software products are used and are capable of use to manage much more than the daily operations of health, safety, quality and environment. Changes and extensions to our core product modules and to the investigation, performance and reporting tools and techniques that they use and support, now make a routine contribution to the management of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, in its widest sense and to the measurement and reporting of CSR performance.
We therefore thought it was time for a change, with a fresh look at our company and product focus and direction. We will shortly be making several announcements regarding new products and services which are natural additions to our existing, CamHealth® software product range.
CSR Performance Ltd provides systems solutions for CSR. Our services involve the provision of systems for planning, delivery and measurement. We provide analyses of workflow, provision of information, management of operations, measurement of performance and management of corrective actions.
The company is independently owned and operated from the UK. with offices in North America and S.E Asia.
Useful Links
Accountability
www.accountability.org
CSR Europe
www.csreurope.org
CSR Network
www.csrnetwork.com
EA (UK)
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
EPA (USA)
www.epa.gov
EU - CSR
ec.europa.eu/
employment_social
EU - Environment
ec.europa.eu/environment
EU - SHaW
osha.europa.eu/en
GRI
www.globalreporting.org
HSE (UK)
www.hse.gov.uk
OSHA (USA)
www.osha.gov
Responsible Care
www.responsiblecare.org
