Automate UK, HSE, RIO and MTC to create first guidance for cobot users
17 June 2026 
Image: Omron
The UK’s automation trade body, Automate UK, is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to draw up the first official guidance on how to use collaborative robots (cobots) safely alongside humans. Their aim is to support the safe and responsible adoption of robots in the workplace, providing businesses with clarity on regulatory requirements and helping to increase their uptake.
A key barrier to the wider adoption of robots in the UK is uncertainty around compliance, particularly surrounding cobots. It is estimated that 15–20% of automation enquiries stall due to uncertainty over safety. The guidance produced by the project aims to address this uncertainty.
The project will produce the UK’s first HSE-supported guidance on advanced robotics applications. Automate UK predicts that the uptake of cobots will increase by 25% by the end of 2027.
The first stage of the project will deliver regulatory clarity for collaborative applications and aims to give the industry confidence about using robots safely alongside humans.
A second stage will focus on applications where AI embedded in robotic systems is raising new safety questions. To kickstart work on this stage, the Regulatory Innovation Office is convening stakeholders to explore how tools such as synthetic testing can help regulators and industry to support the safe adoption of robots.
“We recognise how guidance and advice can give employers the confidence to innovate safely and provide a platform for new technology to improve productivity and enable growth,” says Andrew Curran, the HSE’s chief scientific adviser and director of science. “We understand that despite there being no barrier to adoption in health and safety law, there is a fear of non-compliance, which is limiting adoption. Therefore, we are committed to working with the Regulatory Innovation Office and industry partners to deliver the first joint HSE and industry guidance on the use of cobots to address this barrier and improve business confidence.”
Oliver Selby, chair of Bara (the British Automation and Robotics Association), which is part of Automate UK, says: “Automate UK and Bara welcome the focus by the Regulatory Innovation Office on reducing barriers to robotics adoption. Based on feedback from our membership, the current regulatory framework is sufficient and adequate for enabling the safe deployment of robots used in a collaborative application.
“However, there remains a significant gap in understanding and confidence among end-user stakeholders,” he adds. “Greater education and practical guidance are needed to help businesses fully embrace robots working safely alongside people. While relevant information is already contained within existing standards, as well as the current Machinery Directive and forthcoming Machinery Regulation, awareness of these resources is limited.”
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