The law for chemicals regulation is changing

The Department for Work and Pensions has laid the Chemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026.

The Regulations use powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 to amend 3 chemicals regimes for which HSE is responsible:

• GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR)
• GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP)
• GB Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC)

Read the statutory instrument and explanatory memorandum on legislation.gov.uk.

The Regulations implement some of the changes that formed part of HSE’s public consultation on proposed reforms to chemicals legislation in GB which ran between 23 June 2025 and 18 August 2025.

The response to that consultation can be found on the HSE Consultation Hub.

The draft legislation will be subject to debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

If you have any questions please contact us via email.

Health and Wellbeing at Work

10 and 11 March 2026, NEC Birmingham.

HSE will have a stand at the 2026 Health and Wellbeing Event to advise and guide delegates on key health risks, including sessions with HSE experts on:

• An introduction to risk assessing work-related stress
  10 March at 10:10am, in the Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing theatre
• Ensuring workplace health is preventative not reactive
  10 March at 3:20pm, in the Future of Work theatre