Machines have been making workplaces more efficient since the Industrial Revolution, but their impact on health and safety is a complex issue. Today, the emergence of robots is bringing significant health and safety benefits to a variety of workplaces, but also new challenges. What kinds of organisations are using robots? Robots are most commonly used in manufacturing, but are increasingly being introduced to a wide variety of industry sectors, from healthcare to retail. The health and safety benefits of robots Robots can carry out tasks that are dangerous for humans to perform, such as lifting or moving heavy objects, or working with hazardous substances. There is also a new generation of wearable robotics devices that can reduce the risk of injury, or aid the rehabilitation of workers who have been injured. However, as a number of well-publicised incidents have demonstrated – including the death of a worker at a VW plant in Germany and a similar incident at a factory…