What the APPG on Health and Safety has been doing this year

Author

Shelly Asquith

Published date

05 May 2026

The Trades Union Congress acts as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health. The Group works across political parties to bring MPs and Lords together to discuss issues affecting workers. It plays a vital role in bringing workers’ experiences into Parliament, amplifying the voices of trade unions, campaigners and victims, and pushing for stronger protections.

Over the past year, the Group has hosted a series of events, evidence sessions and reports covering some of the most urgent workplace health and safety issues, from asbestos and silicosis to violence at work. Below is a snapshot of that work, and information about Group membership and past events can be found on the APPG’s website.

Ministers Justin Madders and Sir Stephen Timms were among Parliamentarians meeting with asbestos victims’ advocates.

Asbestos campaigners meet MPs, peers and Ministers

Asbestos victim support groups from across Britain, and trade union representatives, came to Parliament to meet MPs and peers, sharing their work and pressing for stronger action on asbestos. Representatives highlighted the ongoing risks in workplaces and public buildings, particularly schools. The event helped build links between parliamentarians and campaigners, strengthening calls for asbestos removal and better support for affected workers and their families.

Pilot's Health and Safety

Amy Leversidge and Joji Waites of BALPA with Lord Balfe and Baroness Donaghy

The APPG heard from a delegation of pilots represented by the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) about serious gaps in occupational health and safety across the aviation industry. Delegates raised concerns including weak enforcement of safety reps’ rights, poor welfare facilities, extreme temperatures, and long working hours contributing to fatigue and burnout. The session underlined that protecting workers’ health and safety is essential to maintaining safe aviation overall, and that current regulatory arrangements are falling short.

Public hearing on Cape/Altrad

The APPG held a major public hearing in Parliament examining the legacy of Cape Holdings Ltd, now owned by Altrad Group, and its role in the asbestos crisis. MPs and peers heard powerful evidence from experts, campaigners and victims’ representatives about the ongoing human cost of asbestos exposure and the need for accountability, including calls for significant funding into mesothelioma research. The hearing reinforced the Group’s long-standing campaigning for justice for victims and for the safe removal of asbestos from public buildings.

L-R: Christine Jardine MP (Liberal Democrat), John Glen MP (Conservative), Lord John Hendy KC (Labour), Ian Lavery MP (Labour), Baroness Finlay (Crossbench), Baroness O’Grady (Labour) comprised the hearing panel.

Report: The legacy of Cape Plc and the case for justice

Following the public hearing and evidence submission, the APPG published a report into the legacy of Cape Plc/Altrad, setting out evidence of the company’s role in exposing workers to asbestos and concealing the risks. The cross-party group called for a national programme of asbestos removal, an end to public contracts with Altrad until it contributes to justice for victims, and £10 million in funding for mesothelioma research. The report can be found here. See recording where Baroness Frances O'Grady launches the APPG report on Cape's asbestos legacy.

Silica, silicosis and the need for a ban

The APPG brought together unions, clinicians and legal experts to examine the growing crisis of silicosis, including new cases linked to high-silica engineered stone. Evidence highlighted serious regulatory gaps, rising cases among younger workers, and the human cost of weak enforcement. Attended by the Minister, Sir Stephen Timms, the session called for urgent action, including a ban on high-silica materials, stronger exposure limits and enforcement, and better protections to prevent a repeat of the asbestos tragedy. A report from the meeting can be found here.

L-R Warinder Juss MP (Labour), Baroness Watkins (Crossbench), Baroness O’Grady (Labour), Ian Lavery MP (Labour), Lord Hendy KC (Labour), Seamus Logan MP (SNP) and Baroness Donaghy (Labour) comprised the panel.

Violence at Work: Evidence Session

The APPG heard evidence from trade unions representing frontline workers on the growing issue of workplace violence, including contributions from the POA, RMT, Unite, NASUWT and USDAW. Speakers set out the scale of abuse and assault faced by workers across sectors, alongside the policy and enforcement changes needed to tackle it. The session reinforced the urgent need for stronger protections and action to make workplaces safer.

Report: Violence in the Workplace

The APPG published a report warning that workplace violence is “out of control”, with abuse and assaults now a routine risk for workers across multiple sectors. Drawing on the witness evidence, it highlights the urgent need for government action to prevent violence at work and ensure workers are properly protected.

Read the report here.

Asbestos: Preventing Tomorrow's Victims

Former firefighter Mike Harding speaks about his mesothelioma diagnosis and past exposure to asbestos.

The APPG convened parliamentarians, unions, clinicians and campaigners to address the ongoing asbestos crisis and the urgent need for a national strategy. Contributions included asbestos victims, trade unions Mesothelioma UK and the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum highlighted rising cases, gaps in prevention, and the need for measures such as a national asbestos register and phased removal from public buildings. The session reinforced strong cross-party backing for coordinated action to protect workers, patients and future generations. Thompsons Solicitors kindly sponsored a drinks reception afterward, to thank campaigners and volunteers for their work.

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