We are excited to announce our participation in the Smarter Regulation Sandbox, a six-month initiative aimed at driving innovation in health and safety regulation. This project is a collaboration between Discovering Safety, a programme led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and Safetytech Accelerator, alongside key industry and technology partners. 

The Sandbox, funded by the Government Office for Technology Transfer, brings together five forward-thinking technology providers: COMET, Evercam, PLINX, Pillar, and Navatech. Together, they will develop and pilot cutting-edge digital tools that leverage regulatory data to improve safety, compliance, and operational efficiency across industries.

Transforming Safety with Smarter Tools

COMET’s participation in this initiative aligns with its mission to promote better audits, investigations, and root cause analysis through its intelligent, data-driven software. By utilising AI-assisted technology to analyse vast, unstructured safety data, COMET helps organisations identify hidden risks and take preventative actions, leading to safer and more efficient operations.

The digital products developed during the Sandbox will focus on a variety of use cases, such as automated access control, fatigue management, visual analytics, data-driven risk analysis, and AI-enhanced health and safety regulation assessments. These solutions will help companies not only meet regulatory requirements but also streamline processes and improve productivity.

Collaboration with Industry Leaders

During the six-month Sandbox, COMET and the other participating companies will work alongside construction and infrastructure partners, as well as mentors and regulators from organisations such as Balfour Beatty, Heathrow Airport, Getlink (formerly Groupe Eurotunnel), AXA, Zurich Insurance Group, and The British Standards Institution. These collaborations will ensure that the technology solutions are developed with practical, real-world applications in mind. 

Leadership Insights

Dr Maurizio Pilu, Managing Director at Safetytech Accelerator, comments:

“Regulatory innovation has become a very hot topic and this collaboration to shape a future of health and safety regulation could not be more timely. There are multiple new technologies to improve workplace safety, wellbeing and productivity in construction, and we can do much more with digitised regulation and regulatory data. The UK Government is encouraging industry and regulators to collaborate and has made boosting productivity through the use of its data and regulatory innovation a key priority. We look forward to continuing our work with Discovering Safety and our other partners in the Smarter Regulation Sandox and to sharing the outcomes soon.”

Dr Helen Balmforth, Head of Data Analytics at Health and Safety Executive and Programme Director on Discovering Safety, comments:

“We want to be at the forefront of regulatory innovation and leadership and ensure that organisations can use our data wisely to support advances in industry. The Smarter Regulation Sandbox will demonstrate how technology can make health and safety regulatory information more accessible to accelerate compliance, improve efficiency and productivity,and reduce regulatory burdens on industry, while also supporting innovators to bring digital products to market.”


Mark Rushton, CEO of COMET, added:

“We’re really pleased to be part of this initiative. Our aim is to help businesses not just meet safety regulations but also improve how they work day-to-day. By combining regulatory data with AI-driven tools, we can help organisations identify and fix potential risks before they become bigger problems. The Sandbox is a great opportunity to explore new approaches and drive meaningful change in the industry.”

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To learn more about what COMET can do for your organiation, book a demo today.
 

Sources:

The Future of Regulation: Exploring Smarter Sandboxes - Safetytech Accelerator

Launched: sandbox to shape future of smarter health and safety regulation | StartupsMagazine

Sandbox aims to shape future of smarter health and safety in UK construction -Construction Briefing

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