New UK regulations affecting equality duties, broadcasting and major infrastructure: a health and safety brief

New UK regulations affecting equality duties, broadcasting and major infrastructure: a health and safety brief

The latest statutory instruments cover a diverse set of areas from equality duties in Scotland to authorisations for major infrastructure projects and changes to broadcasting quotas. While many of these instruments are administrative or sector specific, they carry practical implications for health and safety management, equality and inclusion, and environmental risk controls across public and private sector organisations.

Key changes at a glance

• The Equality Act 2010 (Specification of Public Authorities) (Scotland) Order 2025 adds Zero Waste Scotland Limited to the list of Scottish public authorities subject to the public sector equality duty.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 amend the existing Scottish specific duties under the Equality Act.
• The Revenue Scotland and Tax Powers Act (Postponement of Tax Pending a Review or Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2025 update the process by which taxpayers may apply to postpone tax, penalty or interest while a review or appeal is in progress.
• Several broadcasting-related instruments implement quota definitions and regional production requirements arising from the Media Act 2024, affecting independent production quotas for public service broadcasters and regional programme-making for Channels 3, 4 and 5 and S4C.
• The Cory Decarbonisation Project Order 2025 authorises the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a carbon capture facility and associated development.
• Other instruments include education authorisations and administrative measures such as pension revaluation orders, each with potential indirect impacts on workplace duties and resources.

What these changes mean for health and safety practice

Some instruments are primarily regulatory or financial, yet health and safety practitioners should note several clear implications:

• Equality duties: adding an organisation to the list of public authorities subject to the public sector equality duty, and amendments to Scotland’s specific duties, reinforce the requirement to consider equality in policy and operational decision making. This includes duty holders ensuring that H&S risk assessments and reasonable adjustments account for protected characteristics.
• Major infrastructure projects: authorisations such as the Cory Decarbonisation Project will require robust construction and operational health and safety planning, environmental controls and contractor management. Projects of this scale typically trigger coordination under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and demand integrated environmental and safety management systems.
• Broadcast and production changes: adjustments to quotas and regional production requirements can affect workforce deployment and commissioning practices. Producers and broadcasters should review worker welfare arrangements, working time practices and contractor competency to maintain safe production environments.
• Administrative and financial measures: changes to tax postponement procedures or pension revaluation are not H&S regulations, but they can influence organisational capacity and resource planning. Health and safety managers should be aware of potential knock-on effects on budgets for training, maintenance or safety improvements.

Practical steps for organisations and H&S leaders

1. Review equality and inclusion within H&S: ensure risk assessments and incident investigations address equality impacts and reasonable adjustments, particularly where public sector duties now apply.
2. Plan for major projects: where projects such as decarbonisation facilities are planned or underway, align safety planning with statutory duties and environmental management. Consider accredited management systems such as ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety and ISO 14001 for environmental management to provide structured controls.
3. Assure contractor competency: verify that suppliers and production partners have appropriate competence and safety management in place. Synergos’ Competent Person guidance and H&S Support Packages can help with contractor oversight and assurance.
4. Update policies and training: refresh policies to reflect equality duty changes and sector-specific requirements, and ensure frontline teams and managers receive relevant training. See Synergos’ H&S Training and the H&S Risk assessments service for practical support.
5. Integrate risk and business planning: factor administrative or financial regulatory changes into strategic safety planning to avoid unintended resource shortfalls that could affect safe systems of work.

Sector highlights: construction, public bodies and media production

Construction and infrastructure

Large-scale developments like carbon capture facilities present layered risks across design, construction and operation phases. Organisations should apply formal project safety governance, contractor pre-qualification and environmental risk controls, and where suitable adopt recognised standards including ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.

Public sector bodies

Bodies newly listed under the Equality Act’s public authority schedule must ensure their policies meet reporting and equality impact requirements. That includes embedding equality considerations into health and safety governance and accessible workplace arrangements.

Broadcasting and production

Changes to independent production and regional programme-making quotas will affect commissioning patterns. Employers and producers should ensure workforce welfare, safe working hours and contractor oversight are maintained as production models evolve.

How Synergos Consultancy can assist

Synergos Consultancy offers practical support to translate regulatory change into compliant safety systems. Whether you need help embedding equality considerations into risk assessments, implementing ISO 45001, or assuring safety on complex infrastructure projects, Synergos’ advisory services and training can provide structured, sector-specific assistance. Explore tailored options including H&S risk assessments, competent person assurance, H&S support packages and training to align operational practice with legal duties.

Keeping regulatory awareness central to safety planning will reduce compliance risk and support safer workplaces as legislation and sector dynamics evolve.