Health, safety and environmental

Contact: Gavin Reese

Health, safety and environmental

First UK action plan on pesticides in ten years announced

The UK Government has published its first Pesticides National Action Plan in over a decade, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides by 10% by 2030. Backed by all four UK governments, the plan promotes sustainable pest management through voluntary adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques. It sets domestic targets based on environmental harm rather than volume of use and includes support for innovation, such as biopesticides and precision technologies. The plan aligns with broader food security goals and builds on the recent ban of neonicotinoids in England. Farmers are encouraged to use nature-based solutions to protect ecosystems and boost productivity.

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DSIT awards FSA £1.4m to support new innovation hub

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has received £1.4m from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to establish a new innovation hub. This initiative, part of the Regulatory Innovation Office’s broader agenda, aims to enhance the regulation of emerging food technologies, particularly precision fermented foods. The funding will boost the FSA’s scientific capacity, support industry with clearer regulatory guidance, and strengthen oversight of novel and genetically engineered foods. The hub will also incorporate the FSA’s existing work, including its cell-cultivated product sandbox. This forms part of wider government efforts to foster innovation while ensuring food safety and maintaining high standards in the UK’s food sector.

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Health, safety and environmental

What if the CEO asks me about… our exposure to packaging fees under EPR?

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) (EPR) Regulations 2024 (EPR Regulations) came into force on 1 January 2025. They will affect most businesses that supply packaging in the UK, particularly brand owners of branded packaged products, and those who import branded products into the UK from overseas. With new data reporting and recyclability assessment requirements already in force and (potentially significant) EPR fees payable from this October, it is important for businesses to get clear now on the requirements and the potential liability so they can prepare. In our recent blog we look at ten practical considerations for businesses getting ready to comply with EPR.

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Health and Safety bulletin – April 2025

RPC's April health and safety update provides a round-up of the latest fines, sentences, and environmental news. This includes:

Company fined for unsafe scaffolding
Skiing company fined after boy was killed at friend’s birthday party
Fine for company after worker fell to his death from church steeple
Food safety fails results in multiple fines and convictions
Train strikes two workers and results in fine for Network rail of £3.75m
Serious food crimes: food unfit for human consumption makes its way back to the market
No safety net: roofing firm and director sentenced for putting workers at risk
Prosecution following lack of asbestos control
Three sentenced over illegal waste activity in Northamptonshire
New HSE guidance for stone worktop installers

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