Report: Regulating Work Health and Safety in Wales

This report for TUC Cymru highlights the evolving challenges in regulating work health and safety (WHS) in Wales. It argues for a holistic approach that goes beyond traditional physical risks to include broader employment conditions such as low pay, insecure contracts, lack of worker representation, and inequality. These psychosocial factors are now major contributors to work-related ill-health, especially mental health issues and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Changing nature of work and risks
The decline of heavy industry and rise of service sectors have shifted the risk profile. While physical hazards remain, psychosocial risks—like job strain, bullying, and lack of control—are increasingly prevalent. Union representatives report that while systems exist for physical safety, psychosocial risks are often ignored or unregulated.

Regulatory challenges
Regulators struggle to adapt to these changes. The less tangible nature of mental health issues makes enforcement difficult. Agencies say they lack clear standards and sufficient resources to address these risks effectively. The enforcement gap is particularly evident in non-standard employment, which is growing rapidly.

Workers’ views
Surveys show that whilst most Welsh workers feel able to raise work health and safety concerns and join unions that many report high workloads, tight deadlines, and working while sick. Only a minority feel work positively affects their health. Wales has higher rates of stress and MSDs than the UK average, and fatal injury rates are consistently higher.  The make up the Welsh economy (post industrial and partly rural) help explain these figures.
The report provides exclusive data specific to Wales on types of risks workers face.  The data also records Welsh union reps experience of managing risks in their workplaces.

Modern slavery and high-risk sectors
The care sector is a focal point for modern slavery cases in Wales, often involving migrant women in exploitative conditions. Other high-risk sectors include agriculture, hospitality, and construction.

Decline in inspections and enforcement
There has been a dramatic decline in inspections by HSE and local authorities since the early 2000s, due to funding cuts and staffing shortages. Union reps report limited awareness of enforcement actions, and many feel excluded from risk assessments. Regulators face resource constraints that limit proactive inspections.

Information sharing and joint operations – a way forward
The report finds that improved information sharing between regulators is essential to address work health and safety challenges. Agencies often operate in silos, with different focuses and legal constraints. The Welsh Government’s Workplace Rights and Responsibilities Forum (WRRF) offers potential for collaboration, especially given Wales’ small size and accessibility. Previous joint operations show promise for tackling exploitation in sectors like the garment industry and social care.