Recent UK statutory changes and what they mean for health and safety practice

How recent statutory instruments affect health and safety practice in the UK

Several statutory instruments and orders listed in recent government updates have direct or indirect implications for health and safety professionals, duty holders and operational managers. This briefing summarises the relevant measures, highlights practical risks and compliance priorities, and points to support resources to help organisations respond effectively.

Summary of the statutory changes

The list of instruments includes a variety of measures across transport, public services and health. Key items from the supplied data are:

• The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Definition of Relevant Land) (Amendment) Order — amends the 2012 Act to bring land subject to Railway Byelaws within the definition of relevant land to facilitate recovery of unpaid car parking charges at station car parks.
• The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations — brings various provisions of that Act into force in Scotland.
• The A76 Trunk Road (Sanquhar) (Temporary Prohibition on Waiting, Loading and Unloading) (No. 2) Order — imposes temporary restrictions on waiting, loading and unloading on a section of the A76.
• Amendments relating to Government accounts and competition law — including designation of bodies for Northern Ireland departmental accounts and an amendment to the public transport ticketing schemes block exemption order, with limited direct health and safety implications but potential operational effects for transport operators.
• The National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations — permit Health Boards to provisionally include dentists on lists pending completion of mandatory training where required and amend prior approval requirements for certain care and treatment.
• Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) Regulations — restrictions applying to HM Dockyard Portsmouth and to areas in Edinburgh, which affect where and how aircraft may operate in proximity to sensitive sites.
• Corporation Tax Act 2010 (Part 8C) (Amendment) Regulations — technical tax changes affecting the treatment of restitution interest paid by HMRC.

Practical health and safety implications

Not all instruments are primarily health and safety measures, yet several create operational changes that impact risk profiles and duty holder responsibilities.

Transport and traffic management

Orders that restrict waiting, loading and unloading on trunk roads or impose airspace restrictions require duty holders and contractors to review traffic management plans, site access arrangements and contractor method statements. Where temporary traffic orders are in force, organisations must ensure contractors and drivers are briefed to prevent roadside incidents and to maintain safe pedestrian routes.

Railway car parks and enforcement

The amendment to the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, bringing land subject to Railway Byelaws within the definition of relevant land for parking charge recovery, is primarily an enforcement measure. However, operators and landlords should confirm signage conformity and parking management arrangements because poorly managed car parks increase vehicle-pedestrian conflict and trip hazards. Duty holders should check that any car park enforcement regime does not compromise safety, for example by obstructing emergency access.

Healthcare settings and dental services

Changes to the NHS General Dental Services regulations in Scotland that allow provisional listing of dentists pending mandatory training highlight the need for clear supervision and competency assurance. Health boards and practice owners must maintain safe systems of work, ensure adequate supervision where training is incomplete, and update risk assessments to reflect any temporary competencies or restrictions on practice.

Air navigation restrictions

Restrictions around HM Dockyard Portsmouth and specified Edinburgh airspace affect event planners, construction sites and emergency services operating drones or helicopter transfers. Those planning work that involves aerial operations or unmanned aircraft should check restricted zones and update safe operating procedures accordingly.

Immediate steps for duty holders and safety professionals

1. Review the specific statutory texts and maps relevant to your operations to confirm whether any orders apply to your sites or routes.
2. Update site risk assessments and traffic management plans to reflect temporary orders or new enforcement regimes.
3. Where provisional professional registration or training arrangements exist, document supervision and competency checks, and adjust permitted activities until full training is completed.
4. Inform contractors, staff and lone workers of changed restrictions and ensure method statements align with the restrictions.
5. Maintain signage, emergency access routes and communication plans to reduce hazards associated with changes to parking enforcement or traffic patterns.

Where to find support and assurance

Organisations that need help interpreting these instruments or embedding the changes into management systems can draw on specialist advisors. Synergos Consultancy provides practical health and safety support, including risk assessment services and competent person advice, to help operationalise legal changes and reduce risk.

Relevant Synergos resources include H&S Risk assessments (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/health-and-safety-risk-assessment/), Competent Person services (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/competent-person/), H&S Support Packages (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/support-packages-and-services/) and H&S Training (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/health-and-safety-training/).

Where changes affect wider management systems, Synergos can also assist with relevant ISO standards such as ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/iso45001/) and ISO 14001 for environmental impacts (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/iso14001/), helping organisations integrate legal changes into a consistent management approach.

For event organisers or projects with energy and sustainability considerations, the ISO 20121 event sustainability management guidance can also support safe planning (https://synergosconsultancy.co.uk/iso-20121-event-sustainability-management/).

Implementation checklist for safety managers

• Identify whether any of the recent orders apply to your estate or operational routes.
• Record changes in your legal register and review existing controls against the new or amended requirements.
• Communicate changes to contractors, staff and partners, and update permits to work, site induction materials and traffic plans.
• Arrange additional supervision or temporary restrictions where professionals are provisionally registered pending training completion.
• Seek specialist input for complex interfaces between transport restrictions, crowd management and emergency access.

Taking these pragmatic steps will help organisations remain compliant and reduce risk as statutory instruments are implemented.

For support with interpreting regulatory changes, embedding controls and training staff, Synergos Consultancy offers practical guidance and consultancy tailored to organisational needs.

This briefing sets out the immediate implications and actions for duty holders arising from the statutory instruments listed in the supplied update to help safety professionals prioritise their response.