Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2025 - Health and Safety Legislation Consultations

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) has been reviewing specific UK Health and Safety legislation to form a judgment on whether the Island would benefit from greater alignment with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) standards. As part of that process, consideration has also been given to whether this UK HSE legislation would enhance public and worker safety for offshore energy developments. This process has culminated in public consultation of specific draft legislation, with the starting point for most of the legislation being existing UK legislation. 

DEFA has welcomed stakeholder and public feedback on the proposed health and safety legislation, and where appropriate any associated guidance documentation, through this public consultation process. 

Respondents supported the proposed introduction of the Regulations and alignment with UK standards, recognising the benefits for consistency, clarity and improved health outcomes. However, it was highlighted that successful implementation would depend on clear direction and practical delivery. In particular, greater clarity on which UK guidance and supporting materials should be followed is considered necessary to avoid uncertainty in how the regulations are applied in practice.

Concerns were also raised regarding proposed timescales for introduction that could be too ambitious, especially given the scale of change required across organisations, including training, system updates and new compliance requirements. 

It was stressed that there are capacity challenges on the Island, particularly in relation to training provision, specialist expertise and occupational health services, which could limit the ability of organisations to comply effectively, especially smaller businesses. 

Overall, it was emphasised that while the proposals are supported in principle, they will require clear guidance, realistic timelines and sufficient local training capability to ensure successful and proportionate implementation.

The DEFA Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate (HSWI) is grateful to all those who took the time to consider and respond to this consultation.

Due to the December 2025 holiday period and the limited number of initial responses received, it was decided to extend the closing date of the outstanding health and safety legislation consultations to 31 March 2026. 

The consultation process and responses received informed the Department’s assessment of the benefits of the proposed legislation. All consultation responses were considered in detail, alongside direct engagement with relevant Manx businesses. The consultation process has therefore informed the Department’s decision making. Having considered all available information, the Department has decided to pause the introduction of this tranche of legislation until further notice.

Further engagement between DEFA HSWI and the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will take place in June 2026. Should the Department subsequently decide to proceed with the introduction of any of the draft legislation, this will first be reviewed against the latest position of the relevant UK legislation and updated where necessary. If any substantive changes are made as a result, a further public consultation exercise may be undertaken.