Welcome Back to 2026: A Smarter Year for Building Safety and Compliance

As organisations across the UK return from the festive break, 2026 begins with renewed focus, tighter enforcement, and rising expectations around building safety. For facilities managers, landlords, and compliance professionals, the start of the year is not just a reset. It is a critical opportunity to strengthen compliance strategies before operational pressures increase.

Electrical safety, passive fire protection, emergency lighting, and fire door compliance remain central to protecting occupants and meeting legal responsibilities. With enforcement activity continuing to rise, early planning has never been more important.

Why the Start of the Year Matters for Compliance

January and February consistently provide the best window to review safety performance without the disruption that often comes later in the year. Acting early allows issues to be identified, prioritised, and resolved before they escalate into costly failures or enforcement action.

Across the UK, regulators continue to focus on:

• Electrical Installation Condition Reports and overdue remedials

• Inadequate fire stopping and compartmentation breaches

• Poorly maintained or non compliant fire doors

• Emergency lighting systems that fail during low light conditions

• Incomplete or outdated compliance records

A proactive approach early in 2026 reduces risk, protects building users, and ensures confidence during audits and inspections.

Electrical Safety as a Foundation for Safer Buildings

Electrical infrastructure remains one of the most common sources of compliance failure. Ageing installations, undocumented alterations, and delayed remedial works often place buildings at unnecessary risk.

Regular inspection through a compliant Electrical Installation Condition Report helps identify deterioration before it becomes dangerous. Addressing observations promptly also prevents minor defects from escalating into operational failures or enforcement notices.

Organisations that integrate EICR planning into their annual compliance strategy benefit from improved safety, reduced downtime, and greater cost control over remedial works.

Passive Fire Protection Must Not Be Overlooked

Passive fire protection plays a vital role in limiting the spread of fire and smoke. Fire stopping, compartmentation, and fire doors are designed to protect escape routes and buy critical time during an emergency.

However, these systems are frequently compromised by building works, service penetrations, or lack of routine inspection. In many cases, defects remain hidden until a fire risk assessment or enforcement visit exposes them.

Starting the year with a structured review of passive fire protection allows defects to be addressed methodically and prevents disruption later in the year.

You can learn more about how effective compartmentation supports building safety in our guide to passive fire protection for UK buildings.

Fire Doors and Emergency Lighting in Focus

Fire doors and emergency lighting are two areas that receive particular attention during inspections, especially in higher risk environments such as healthcare, education, and residential care.

Fire doors must be correctly installed, maintained, and inspected to perform as designed. Even small defects can significantly reduce their effectiveness.

Emergency lighting is equally critical, particularly during winter months when low natural light increases reliance on artificial lighting. Regular testing ensures systems operate correctly during power failures and evacuations.

Failure in either area places occupants at risk and exposes duty holders to enforcement action.

A Smarter Compliance Strategy for 2026

Compliance in 2026 is no longer about reactive testing or last minute fixes. It requires a coordinated, year-round strategy that aligns electrical safety, fire protection, and maintenance planning.

Organisations that succeed typically:

• Schedule inspections early and spread workloads evenly

• Budget for remedial works in advance

• Maintain clear, accessible compliance records

• Use competent, third-party accredited contractors

• Review compliance holistically rather than in isolation

This approach reduces disruption, improves safety outcomes, and ensures confidence throughout the year.

How We Support Clients Throughout the Year

Throughout 2026, we continue to support organisations across the UK with a full range of compliance services, including electrical testing, remedial works, passive fire protection, fire door inspections, and emergency lighting maintenance.

Our focus remains on practical compliance, clear reporting, and delivering work that stands up to scrutiny from enforcing authorities.

By working collaboratively with facilities teams, landlords, and managing agents, we help ensure buildings remain safe, compliant, and operational throughout the year.#

Start 2026 With Confidence

The new year is the ideal time to assess where your building stands and put a clear plan in place. Whether your compliance checks are overdue, upcoming, or simply need reviewing, early action reduces risk and provides peace of mind.

Welcome back to 2026. Let this be the year your compliance strategy works for you, not against you.