Navtech's MAS10 is the world's first 77GHz FMCW marine radar, promising all-weather navigation and safer manoeuvring.

The company partnered with leading marine operators for the product's development, inspiring its groundbreaking adoption of weatherproof W-band radar tech and rugged design to support its mission-critical applications.

Rachel O'Connor, Navtech Radar's marine business development manager, stated, "New challenges demand more advanced solutions. The MAS10 radar is purpose-built for marine automation, combining a 1km range with centimetre-level precision and all-weather reliability.

"The MAS10’s high-resolution imaging enables machine-learning-powered classification, setting a new standard for safe and intelligent navigation. With 25 years of Navtech expertise, the MAS10 is designed to enable safer and smarter navigation for the future of maritime operations."

Zero USV was one such operator partnering with Navtech for the MAS10 product development. Matthew Ratsey, Zero USV's founder and MD, added, "Navtech's MAS10 is such a unit, the definition and quality to pick up even the smallest of targets in cluttered environments is vital for the autonomous industry to continue seeking the goal of ‘jetty to jetty’ navigation where busy harbours still represent a significant challenge."

Vattenfall saw potential in the Elios 3. (Image source: Flyability)

Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest producers and retailers of electricity and heat, has used Flyability’s Elios 3 drone to create 3D models of restricted areas inside a decommissioned power plant, improving its understanding of locations deemed unsafe for human entry.

Once decommissioned, power plants often remain untouched for extended periods due to safety hazards and security concerns. Large industrial facilities present risks such as falls, head injuries, and confined space dangers. Additionally, the proprietary designs and operational methods of power plants require protection, leading to further restrictions.

Despite these constraints, companies must continue maintaining decommissioned plants. However, limited access makes it difficult to assess structural conditions, posing challenges for routine inspections and long-term planning.

Leveraging drone technology for inspection

The decommissioned facility, no longer in operation, had been repurposed as a training site for firefighters, but certain sections were still off-limits due to falling debris risks.

A long-time Flyability customer, Vattenfall saw potential in the Elios 3, an indoor drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor, for creating precise 3D maps of no-go zones. The company conducted test flights at the plant to determine whether the Elios 3’s simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) capabilities could generate usable models.

Using the FlyAware SLAM algorithm, the drone processed real-time LiDAR data, creating 3D visualisations of restricted areas. The collected data was later refined with FARO software for higher-resolution post-processed models, enhancing the team's ability to understand the facility’s layout.

The test flights focused on a deteriorating stairwell, an area deemed unsafe for human entry. The Elios 3 successfully navigated the confined space, flying 30-40 m (98-130 ft) up the stairwell while maintaining a strong signal and collecting high-precision data.

Vattenfall’s R&D team confirmed that both the SLAM-generated and post-processed models met their inspection needs, demonstrating the potential for broader applications across other decommissioned plants.

Anders Lindström, Digital Inspection Specialist in Vattenfall’s R&D Department, said,
“The LiDAR capability is a great addition to the Elios' capabilities and it is so far the only drone with LiDAR capability in this size segment”.

Without the Elios 3, personnel would have needed rope access or scaffolding to inspect the site manually, a process that could take weeks and incur high costs. Instead, the drone completed the task in just 30 minutes, showcasing significant time, cost, and safety benefits.

Companies are also reporting new risks associated with digitalisation

The 2024 European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER) provides fresh insights into workplace risks across Europe, with musculoskeletal disorders, psychosocial stress, and digitalisation emerging as key concerns.

The survey, conducted across all sectors, highlights persistent challenges, such as prolonged sitting and repetitive movements, while also revealing the increasing impact of modern work practices on occupational safety and health.

Musculoskeletal risks remain dominant, with 64% of workplaces citing prolonged sitting as the most common issue, followed closely by repetitive hand or arm movements, reported by 63%.

Additionally, 52% identified lifting or moving heavy loads as a significant risk. The growing prevalence of remote work—up from 13% in 2019 to 23% in 2024—has further contributed to concerns about ergonomic hazards and digital workplace risks.

Psychosocial risks have also become a major challenge, particularly in service industries. More than half of surveyed organisations (56%) identified dealing with difficult customers, patients, or pupils as a key issue.

However, 25% of organisations still fail to acknowledge psychosocial risks, a shortfall that underscores the need for targeted interventions.

Worrisome trends

Reflecting on the results, EU-OSHA executive director William Cockburn stated, “25% of organisations still fail to recognise the presence of psychosocial risks, highlighting a significant shortfall in addressing these important issues. This underlines the importance of our upcoming Healthy Workplaces Campaign, launching in 2026, which will focus on tackling the impact of psychosocial risks at work on workers’ mental health.” 

Among workplaces that recognise psychosocial risk factors, 21% find them harder to manage than other occupational safety and health (OSH) risks. Perceptions vary by country, with Sweden (38%) and Denmark (37%) reporting the greatest challenges.

Employee participation in designing measures to mitigate psychosocial risks has declined slightly, dropping from 61% in 2019 to 55% in 2024.

Digitalisation is increasingly influencing workplace safety, with 43% of organisations incorporating digital technologies into their risk assessments, a rise from previous years. Spain and Slovenia lead the way, with over 60% of workplaces considering digital risks in their assessments.

Training on digital technology usage has also expanded, reaching 42% of workplaces overall and 75% in Malta.

Companies are also reporting new risks associated with digitalisation, including increased work intensity (34%), information overload (32%), and blurred boundaries between work and personal life (27%).

Encouragingly, consultation with employees on the impact of digitalisation has improved, with 35% of workplaces engaging workers on these issues—up from 24% in 2019.

These preliminary findings mark the beginning of a deeper analysis of ESENER 2024 data.

Additional reports will be published through 2026, offering further insights into the evolving landscape of workplace risks in Europe.

The inaugural conference will deliver deep insights and analysis from Europe’s leading offshore industry experts covering diverse topics under the HSE umbrella. (Image Source: Offshore Network)

It is nearly time for the doors to open on Offshore Network’s inaugural North Sea Health, Safety and Environment conference (HSE North Sea) which will make its debut this summer in Scotland.

Building on the success from previous HSE forums produced by Offshore Network (HSE GOM, HSE MENA and HSE KSA), the inaugural conference will deliver deep insights and analyses from Europe’s leading offshore industry experts covering diverse topics under the HSE umbrella.

With a focus placed on urgent HSE challenges offshore, delegates will spend two days gaining insights into the latest pioneering technologies dutifully addressing these factors and have the opportunity to learn even more with 10 bespoke tech demos.

An array of sessions and panels will take place over the two-day affair, including an exclusive key note address by Dr. Fawaz Bitar, Senior VP HSE & Carbon at bp. Other representatives from Ambrey, bp, IOGP, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Mental Health In Energy, Shell, and the UN Environment Programme will also be taking to the stage to deliver talks on safety culture, regulation navigation, emerging challenges, and mental resilience within the industry.

More than 150 delegates will descend into the Chester Hotel in Aberdeen on 11-12 June, 2025, to share knowledge and connect with operators, government representatives, experts and technology developers. With eight dedicated networking events and two exclusive breakout workshops, HSE North Sea provides unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and innovation in an ever-changing sector.  

For more information about speaking, sponsorship or delegate packages, please contact Gabrielle Foster at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as space is extremely limited. 

The UK's Health and Safety Executive inspected 13 production operators across the North Sea as part of its Process Safety Leadership Principles (PLSP) programme; it has now published its findings and uncovered the risks that remain amongst offshore companies.

The PSLP were developed after the Executive flagged concerns about stagnating safety standards to the offshore industry in 2018. They cover management and regulatory skills to improve and ensure safety on sites.

Inspections took place between January 2022 and May 2024; industry leaders were also engaged with to determine exactly how the safety leadership principles were being embedded throughout project lifecycle stages. The final report, reflecting the outcome of the inspections, quality assessments and actionable next steps, has now been published.

Samantha Peace, director of the HSE's Energy Division, reported that "offshore companies are now engaging with one another on an unprecedented level... firms were looking at themselves, identifying areas of improvement, engaging with other companies and above all, finding solutions."

While these successes are, of course, critical to ensuring that safety regulation is not snubbed moving forward, the report found "several consistent themes" where safety was dismissed or lacking, and that the themes "were not unique to individual organisations."

One such shortcoming was the dwindling workforce, which has in turn sparked a decrease in knowledge and competency within operator workforces.

Despite the final inspection taking place in May of 2024, Samantha affirmed that the HSE "will continue to question companies on how they are implementing PSLP and whether they are still collaborating with other firms on the same level we witnessed during the programme."

The report itself promises "anonymous feedback... on any common trends or themes," identified by the Executive moving forward.