A first robot in a small factory

Many small factories have a task that someone repeats all through a shift. Sooner or later the owner wonders whether a robot could take it on.

The answer depends on the task, and on the duties that come with a robot on the shop floor. These notes follow guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain's regulator for workplace health and safety.

Start with the task

A good first step is to write down the task as it runs today. Note how long each cycle takes, how many shifts run it and who does it now.

Then set the cost of the robot cell against that. The cost includes guarding, installation, training and maintenance, as well as the robot itself.

Your duties as the user

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, known as PUWER, apply to any business that uses equipment at work. HSE says "use" includes starting, stopping, programming, setting, repairing, maintaining and cleaning.

The equipment has to be safe and kept in a safe condition. If its safety depends on how it was installed, it must be inspected after installation and before anyone uses it. The people who use it, supervise it or manage its use need adequate training.

PUWER also asks for protective measures. These normally include guarding, emergency stop devices and a way of isolating the machine from its power sources. HSE says fixed guards are the normal way to keep people from dangerous parts. Where people need routine access, interlocked guards may be needed to stop the moving parts first.

A risk assessment

Every employer has to assess the risks in the workplace under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The employer identifies what could cause harm, and decides how likely and how serious that harm could be. Then the employer removes the hazard, or controls the risk where removing it is not possible.

Who counts as the manufacturer of a robot cell

A robot arm and a conveyor that work together under one control system can form an "assembly of machinery". The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 apply to the assembly as a whole.

HSE says the person who puts the assembly together is treated as its manufacturer. That person makes sure the whole assembly meets the regulations, including its conformity marking. The work may be done by the factory itself, an installing contractor or a main contractor coordinating others. So it helps to agree at the start who will take that role.

Parts of the cell may arrive as "partly completed machinery", with a Declaration of Incorporation and assembly instructions. The risk assessment for the whole cell has to cover the points where the parts meet, such as the need for extra guarding.

Buying second-hand

Anyone who supplies second-hand equipment for use at work must make sure, as far as reasonably practicable, that it is safe. HSE says the words "sold as seen" do not remove that duty. Second-hand machinery brought into the UK for the first time must go through conformity assessment before it is used. That responsibility can fall on the importer, or on the user who imports it directly.

Robots working beside people

Collaborative robots, often called cobots, are built to work alongside people. On 10 June 2026 HSE announced a project with Automate UK and the Manufacturing Technology Centre to write practical guidance on cobots. HSE said that health and safety law does not block their use. It also said a fear of breaking the rules is holding some businesses back.

Help for manufacturers

Made Smarter helps small and medium-sized manufacturers adopt digital technology. Its support comes through a local delivery partner, chosen by the postcode of the main manufacturing site, so what is on offer varies by region.