An innovation programme has launched with the aim to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies that improve the protection of workers in safety-critical sectors.
The Occupational Safety & Health X (OSHX) Lab has been launched by Safetytech Accelerator – established by Lloyd’s Register – in collaboration with Heathrow Airport Ltd, and Discovering Safety, a programme led by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
As the partners behind the venture explain, the ‘X’ in OSHX represents amplification; a recognition that leading health and safety performance is an enabler for higher business productivity, efficiency, and resilience.
“Just as investment in innovation and digital transformation leads to safer workplaces, strong health and safety practices enhance operational performance. OSHX is built on this principle – harnessing technology not only to protect workers but to drive smarter, more efficient, high-performing industries,” says a spokesperson.
OSHX Lab is intended to bridge the gap between the UK’s most pressing industry challenges and technology-driven solutions, in an effort to ensure that innovation not only enhances worker protection but also drives efficiency, resilience ,and smarter operations.
The aim is to connect leading technology start-ups with major industry players and regulators, and in so doing create a collaborative ecosystem to identify, test, pilot and eventually deploy the right solutions that industry needs.
The programme will find ways to eliminate barriers to technology adoption, de-risk innovation, and accelerate the integration of solutions that enhance workplace health, safety, wellbeing, productivity, and operational resilience.
Dr Maurizio Pilu, founder and managing director at Safetytech Accelerator, said:“We’ve heard first-hand from industry that safety innovation needs to go beyond compliance – it must be seen as a key driver of technological transformation, reshaping how businesses operate to enhance both protection and productivity.
“That’s why we established OSHX Lab: To accelerate the adoption of technologies that improve safety while driving efficiency and resilience. OSHX Lab is about breaking down silos within and across organisations to ensure the right innovations deliver real, measurable impact for the safety- critical and infrastructure businesses we all rely on.”
There’s a pressing need for proactive safety and health innovation According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 300,000 work-related fatalities occur worldwide each year, with construction ranking among the most hazardous industries.
In the UK alone, 47,000 self-reported injuries in construction lead to over 400,000 lost workdays annually. Globally, the economic burden of workplace injuries is estimated at £2.4 trillion per year, affecting productivity, worker well-being, and project costs.
Traditional health and safety controls alone can no longer keep pace with evolving risks, according to the founders of OSHX Lab; the next step forward lies in harnessing technology to drive smarter, safer industries.
Rohail Latif, head of health, safety and wellbeing solutions – infrastructure at Heathrow Airport Ltd, said: “I’m delighted that Heathrow is a founding member of the OSHX Lab. Heathrow is a forward-looking organisation and having previously worked closely with SafetyTech Accelerator and the HSE, I’m confident that together we can help lead the way for other safety-critical organisations to understand that innovation and safe adoption of emerging technologies will improve workplace health, safety, wellbeing and at the same time, improve efficiency.”
Discovering Safety, as one of the founding members of OSHX Lab, will provide regulatory expertise, industry guidance, and access to critical safety data to help technology companies navigate compliance challenges.
Dr Helen Balmforth, head of the Centre for Data & Analytics at HSE and lead of Discovering Safety, said:“We are pleased to be part of the OSHX Lab, an initiative that brings together regulators, industry leaders, and technology innovators to enhance workplace health and safety.
“By providing regulatory insight and facilitating the safe adoption of emerging technologies, we aim to ensure that innovation supports compliance and delivers tangible improvements in worker protection. This initiative reflects our commitment to enable industry to improve health and safety outcomes using innovative data and analytical techniques.”
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