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Health and Safety Executive

Science ebulletin

Issued: 12 December 2024

For more information visit our science, engineering and evidence website.

PEROSH webinar: Artificial Intelligence insights

13 December 2024, 2pm (GMT) / 3pm (CET)

This PEROSH (Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health) event offers an opportunity to hear from leading experts and explore how AI is shaping the future.

HSE’s Colin Chambers will be talking about a HSE initiative: 'Mapping AI use cases: insights for HSE regulated industries'.

Find out more and register for the PEROSH AI webinar


HSE Research Reports

A selection of the latest research reports from HSE

RR1203: The impact of Permanent Volumetric Modular Construction (PVMC) on building safety

Permanent Volumetric Modular Construction (PVMC) is an approach to construction where modules are built off-site, transported to site and assembled together to create permanent buildings.

This report describes an initial review of evidence linked to the building safety of PVMC.

RR1204: Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the HardSPEC environmental exposure model for pesticide regulatory assessments

HardSPEC is a realistic but worst-case environmental exposure model used by HSE in regulatory risk assessment of pesticides.

It predicts concentrations of pesticides in surface and groundwater and the concentrations predicted by the model are used to help determine whether the risk posed by the pesticide use is acceptable.

This work will help HSE with decisions on the authorisation of some pesticide uses requested by applicants.

RR1206: Fire safety: hydraulic systems used in underground work

In any underground work, a fire can be particularly hazardous. Hydraulic systems used in coal mines were specifically built to use fluids developed to provide a more fire-resistant alternative to mineral oil.

HSE scientists reviewed fire incidents, potential fire scenarios and the controls available to manage fire hazards.

Findings from this report will be of interest to the users and managers of hydraulic systems underground.

RR1207: Area classification for oil mists (MISTS2): summary report 

Many types of industrial equipment can potentially produce an explosive oil mist if a fault develops. Information on the conditions in which a mist can be ignited and continue to burn is limited.

This work aimed to improve understanding of the conditions required for mist ignition and flame propagation, and determine where specific control of the risks is required.

RR1215: When welding goes wrong: Learning from past failures 

HSE has identified inconsistencies in the application and supervision of welding of safety-critical metallic components. This has led to failures with high consequences such as fatalities.

A study was carried out to identify common causes of failures and identify priority areas to improve welding outcomes.

Publications and research

It is HSE policy to make the results of research available, wherever possible.

View a full list of our latest HSE science and research publications.

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