Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Gender equality
Practice meets perfect
May/June 2023 issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Safety
  • Risk management
  • Confined spaces
Work at height
Sector: Central government
Sector: Local government
News

UK government invests £26.6m in robots for confined spaces and work at height

Open-access content Thursday 3rd January 2019
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

UK government invests £26.6m in robots for confined spaces and work at height

Fourteen projects have been awarded £19.6m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), to develop machines for maintenance and inspection work in environments such as pressure vessels, offshore wind farms and end-of-life nuclear facilities. The projects will develop a mixture of ground-based, airborne and underwater devices.

A further £7m has been awarded to the universities of Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds, whose researchers are working together to develop miniature robots, measuring about 1 cm, which will use sensors and navigation systems to find and mend cracks in services pipes underground. The government estimates a substantial potential saving to the UK economy in reducing the 1.5 million road works a year.

The £26.6 million investment will be overseen by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the independent body funded by the by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The grant is part of BEIS's Industrial Strategy, launched in November 2017 which aims to promote the development of new technology and high-skilled jobs in fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

The projects covered by the funding include Prometheus, a mine inspection robot led by London-based Headlight AI and OSIRIS developed by Autonomous Devices in Milton Keynes, which will combine the aerial photography capability of a drone with the ability to attach itself to a structure at height for close-up inspection and remediation.

"The projects announced today demonstrate how robots and artificial intelligence will revolutionise the way we carry out complex and dangerous tasks," said UKRI chief executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport, "from maintaining offshore wind farms to decommissioning nuclear power facilities.

Health and Safety Executive chair Martin Temple added: "As a regulator we want to encourage industry to think about how technologies such as robotics and AI can be used to manage risk in the workplace, safeguarding workers both now and in the future world of work."

You may also be interested in...

18.01.19_latest_news_roof_truss

 Council’s CDM regs violation led to falling roof trusses

Friday 18th January 2019
Darlington Borough Council was fined £28,000 after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found it had not properly monitored work activities at the building site on Allington Way.The council's failure to ensure the safe storage of trusses was a contributing factor to the accident, the HSE said, along with its failure to manage the volume of materials on site. Vehicle operations had not been planned or managed, and housekeeping was poor.
Open-access content
demolition_co_fined-cheshire-building-site

 Demolition contractor’s scissor lift removal forced dangerous improvisation

Thursday 3rd January 2019
Cheshire Demolition and Excavation Contractors had provided a scissor lift for the demolition of a derelict nightclub in Alderley Edge but had removed the machine from the site before the incident on 15 November 2016. The operatives, who had no other means of accessing the upper storey of the building, had climbed into a pick bin, which was lifted by an excavator.When the bin suddenly released from the excavator's arm, the men fell onto a pile of bricks and rubble. One operative sustained a broken back and the other a fractured skull.
Open-access content
Image credit: © iStock/whitemay

 Fire service safety audits drop 42% in seven years

Friday 4th January 2019
A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), found that, in the 12 months to 31 March 2018, fire and rescue services conducted 49,423 audits. In the 12 months to 31 March 2011 the comparable figure was 84,575.
Open-access content
Image credit: © iStock/ valio84sl

 HSE launches two-month farm inspection campaign

Monday 7th January 2019
Inspectors will focus on issues including machinery, falls from height, child safety and risk posed by livestock. In October and November 2018, the HSE ran a series of agriculture compliance events in South West and Eastern England, Wales and Scotland, which focused on the practical steps that farms can take to ensure compliance ahead of the inspection visits. The events were developed as a result of research into farmers' attitudes to risk and were aimed at changing industry behaviours.
Open-access content
Image credit: ©iStock/georgeclerk

 Government’s plan to safeguard workers’ rights after Brexit is 'cynical', says GMB

Friday 11th January 2019
Prime minister Theresa May is said to be considering supporting the amendment which would enshrine protection of the rights and standards relating to health and safety and employment, as well as the environment. It would also allow MPs a vote on whether to adopt EU protections if they are strengthened in the future.  The move is an attempt to gain support from Labour Brexiteers ahead of Tuesday's "meaningful vote" on the withdrawal agreement. The bill could be voted down by more than 430 MPs, with only 206 ready to support it.
Open-access content
Image credit: HSE. The broken vision panel taken from the lift

 Housing association and lift co fined £1.5m for five-year-old’s death in disability lift

Wednesday 16th January 2019
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the fatality in Emmadale Close on 13 August 2015 identified a host of failures by the three companies. As the property's owner, Synergy Housing had primary responsibility for the lift's safety while sister company Aster Property arranged the lift's maintenance. Both are part of housing association the Aster Group, which describes itself on its website as an ethical landlord. 
Open-access content
Topics
Confined spaces
Work at height
Sector: Central government
Sector: Local government
News
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health and Safety Improvement Manager

Leeds
£35000 - £50000 per annum
Reference
5452992

SHEQ Systems Advisor

Up to £40000.00 per annum + Car Allowance
Reference
5452988

Senior Health and Safety Manager

Reading
Up to £65000.00 per annum + Great Car Allowance & Benefits
Reference
5452983
See all jobs »

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ