1053. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to implement the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021–2027, with particular reference to the adoption of robotics and remote inspection technology to reduce worker exposure to hazardous confined space environments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62102/26]

1054. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department or the Health and Safety Authority has received submissions regarding the recognition of drone-based or remote inspection technology as an accepted avoidance method for confined space entry; and if he will outline the authority's response, or intended response, to any such submissions. [62101/26]

1055. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of work-related fatalities and injuries associated with confined space entry recorded by the Health and Safety Authority in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62100/26]

1056. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department or the Health and Safety Authority has considered updating the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Confined Spaces) Regulations 2001, or the associated code of practice, to explicitly recognise remote inspection technology as a method of satisfying the avoidance requirement under regulation five; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62099/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1053 to 1056, inclusive, together.

The Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Confined Spaces) Regulations 2001 prioritise the avoidance of confined space entry wherever it is reasonably practicable. The Regulations do not prescribe the specific methods, technologies or control measures that must be used to avoid confined space entry.

The use of remote inspection technology, or any other alternative method that avoids entry, should be considered by the duty holder on the basis of a suitable risk assessment, its effectiveness in eliminating the need for entry, and whether its use introduces any additional hazards or risks.

Neither my Department or the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have received any formal submissions seeking amendments to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Confined Spaces) Regulations 2001 or Code of Practice to specifically recognise drone-based or other remote inspection technologies as a method of avoiding confined space entry.

The Regulations already require employers, so far as is reasonably practicable, to avoid entry to confined spaces and are performance-based rather than technology-specific. Where drones or other remotely operated systems can safely remove the need for entry, their use may support compliance, provided they are considered as part of a suitable risk assessment and do not introduce additional hazards or risks. Any future proposals on the use of emerging technologies in confined space work would be considered having regard to occupational safety and health objectives and the existing legislative framework.

The HSA produces statistical breakdowns of work-related fatalities and injuries. However, confined space entry is not a separate reporting category in the HSA’s standard statistical data. Where confined space entry was a factor, that information may be recorded in the narrative or supporting details of individual incident reports rather than in a structured field that can be readily searched or extracted. A detailed review of relevant incident reports for the past five calendar years has been completed by the HSA.

The review identified 17 work related injuries associated with confined space entry, or possible confined space entry. These comprised 3 fatal incidents and 14 non-fatal injury incidents. The table below provides the number of fatal and non-fatal injury incidents identified for each year.

The HSA supports the objectives of the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021–2027, including its focus on anticipating and managing change arising from digitalisation and new workplace technologies. In this context, the HSA is monitoring developments in robotics, remote inspection and related technologies that may assist employers in reducing worker exposure to hazardous confined space environments.

As the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Confined Spaces) Regulations 2001 already require employers to avoid entry where it is reasonably practicable to do so, employers may therefore use suitable remote monitoring, robotic equipment, camera systems, drone-based inspection technologies or other effective solutions, provided these are supported by a suitable risk assessment and do not introduce additional hazards or risks.

The HSA monitors and participates, where appropriate at an EU level, in developments on artificial intelligence, robotics and digitalisation, including their potential impact on inspection approaches and workplace risk management.