The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and its partners presented the 2026 Prevention through Design (PtD) Award to Square Robot, Inc. at the sixth annual PtD Award Ceremony during the National Safety Council Safety Congress and Expo in Indianapolis
What is Prevention through Design?
Led by NIOSH, Prevention through Design is a national strategy for preventing and controlling occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities by “designing out” hazards and risks. According to the hierarchy of controls, the elimination of workplace hazards is the most effective way to protect workers. PtD encompasses all of the efforts to anticipate and design out hazards to workers in facilities, work methods and operations, processes, equipment, tools, products, new technologies, and the organisation of work. The ultimate goal of the PtD initiative is to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities through the inclusion of prevention considerations into all designs that impact workers, thus promoting a proactive approach.
The annual PtD Award a collaborative effort of NIOSH, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the National Safety Council (NSC) that highlights real-world success in PtD efforts to protect workers. Through this award, partners recognise leaders and encourage further use of PtD methods.
Award winner Square Robot, a Massachusetts-based company that specialises in robotic tank inspection services, was awarded for its excellence in eliminating hazards through innovative safety design that exemplifies the PtD approach. Its fully submersible autonomous robots mitigate confined space hazards by eliminating the need for workers to enter above-ground tanks that store industrial liquids tanks for inspection. Emissions hazards are also reduced as the tanks remain sealed, removing the need for ventilation and atmospheric monitoring. Across 385 tanks inspected, Square Robot has helped contain more than 695 tons of volatile organic compound emissions and reduced confined space entries to zero. It combines advanced robotics, high-resolution sensors, and intelligent automation to deliver internal tank inspections that are safer, faster, and more accurate.
“With their innovative spirit and dogged commitment to eliminating confined space hazards, Square Robot has demonstrated remarkable achievement in improving the safety and wellbeing of many workers,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “Their work exemplifies the impact that designing systems safely from the start can have on preventing injuries and fatalities. The National Safety Council applauds Square Robot for helping lead us into a future where every employee returns home safe from every shift.”
The use of drones and robotics for inspections is becoming increasingly widespread. In the oil and gas industry for example, they are used for inspecting tanks, flare stacks, confined spaces and other hard to access assets, thereby eliminating the risk to personnel, as well as saving time and costs compared to traditional inspections. Equipped with LiDAR, various sensors, thermal cameras, and high-resolution imaging, drones and robots today can provide accurate and detailed real-time data, precisely pinpointing any threats to asset integrity. Capabilities continue to advance with technology advancements, with the integration of AI and data analytics facilitating real-time data processing and analysis.
