New Smarter Regulatory Sandbox developed to increase compliance

HSE and the Safetytech Accelerator developed the Smarter Regulatory Sandbox, a collaborative environment to test digital products and increase compliance.

Construction workers face a wide range of challenges – from physical health risks to exposure to hazardous substances.

Importantly, a range of factors, such as the diverse nature of construction projects, varying levels of expertise among contractors and complex supply chains, create fragmented health and safety practices, presenting unique challenges.

For example, smaller companies or subcontractors may lack the resources or knowledge to implement robust safety measures, leading to higher risk of accidents, injuries, and even fatalities. Therefore, protecting construction workers often requires going beyond regulatory compliance; it requires a proactive approach to creating safer, healthier work environments.

The team at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) explored approaches to strengthen health and safety practices in the construction industry in order to reduce injuries, improve regulatory compliance, and foster a culture where workers’ wellbeing is prioritised at every level.  

One of the findings resulted in a partnership with the Safetytech Accelerator to develop the Smarter Regulatory Sandbox (SRS), the first of its kind.   

The groundbreaking Smarter Regulatory Sandbox applied digitised health and safety data to several health and safety challenges, increasing regulatory compliance, boosting efficiency across the construction sector and enabling the development of innovative products.   

By combining a Sandbox approach with regulatory data, HSE and the Safetytech Accelerator created a flexible and collaborative environment where regulators, construction companies, and technology developers could come together to explore the potential of digital innovation, such as AI and robotics.