Projects and programmes
The Thomas Ashton Institute for Risk and Regulatory Research, working with colleagues from across The University of Manchester, the Health and Safety Executive and beyond, are delivering a wide range of projects.
Active projects
This project investigates the prevalence and impact of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) among workers in the offshore energy sector. Commissioned by the Energy Institute, the study will conduct a comprehensive literature review and assess available data sources to understand the incidence, risk factors, and management of ACS in this high-risk occupational group. The findings will inform evidence-based recommendations for future research and interventions aimed at improving worker health and safety in the growing renewable energy industry.
This project explores the potential link between professional sports participation and the development of neurodegenerative diseases, specifically cognitive impairment, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Through two comprehensive scoping reviews, the research aims to quantify the risks and identify contributing exposures among professional athletes. The findings will support the UK’s Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee (IIAC) in making evidence-based recommendations to government. Led by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Manchester, the project addresses a growing public health concern and contributes to the broader understanding of occupational health risks in elite sports.
Led by Dr Richard Kirkham, the programme brings University of Manchester academics together with partners from the universities of Bath, Exeter, and Sussex, to catalyse, convene and conduct research and innovation in support of the UK's national security and resilience.
This ambitious five-year investment, funded by the UK Research and Innovation, is building a secure and resilient world strategic theme, will enable the SALIENT team to build strong connections across a broad group of stakeholders in central and local government, the devolved administrations and crucially, the public.
SALIENT will drive interdisciplinary research to tackle some of the UK's most challenging security problems. Their focus will be on robust and secure supply chains, global order in a time of change, technologies used for security and defence, behavioural and cultural resilience, and strengthening resilience in our natural and built environments.
SALIENT aims to:
- Enhance security across our virtual and physical environments;
- Strengthen the country's societal and economic resilience, by improving awareness around the key risks and threats we might be facing;
- Informing UK decision-making and preparedness.
This research will address the issue of effective regulation through the concept of the "mindful regulator". This draws its theoretical basis from high-reliability organisations, and the concept of "safety mindfulness". A mindful approach to regulation focuses on the ability to simultaneously build a trustful relationship with organisations, while maintaining an ability to detect potential safety failures.
These are trainable skills that can be taught, developed and refined. Our project will aim to identify, develop and evaluate these capabilities of safety inspectors, in partnership with major UK regulators.
We have three main aims:
- To develop a theoretical model of the mindful regulator.
- To test this model through the design and implementation of an intervention, using a rigorous random control trial (RCT) design.
- To develop the skills and capacities of UK regulators.
Project team
- Sharon Clarke, The University of Manchester.
- Sara Willis, The University of Manchester.
This project aims to enhance occupational safety and health (OSH) in Malaysia’s construction sector by promoting the early integration of safety considerations into project design - known as Design for Occupational Safety and Health (DfOSH). Drawing on the UK’s decades of experience with similar regulations, the initiative brings together academia, industry, and government stakeholders in Malaysia to co-create practical solutions, build capacity, and exchange knowledge. The goal is to reduce workplace fatalities and injuries, support regulatory compliance, and foster long-term socio-economic benefits through safer construction practices.
Exploring the role of psychological diversity for safety-related outcomes.
The research team assessed the effectiveness of the ENSURE safety and security culture development programme delivered at the Henry Royce Institute.
The Japanese Government's Society 5.0 initiative is a forward-looking approach to integrate science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development, emphasising digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. It aims to foster a resilient and sustainable society, blending cyberspace with physical spaces in a human-centric system. The World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, serves as a key milestone in realising Society 5.0, focusing on collaborative innovation to enhance connectivity and quality of life. The United Kingdom (UK)'s active participation underscores a mutual commitment to these innovative goals.
In the context of Society 5.0, the built environment holds critical importance. The integration of AI and automation is growing across multiple scales, from single projects to broader urban and infrastructure development. Both the UK and Japan are promoting the joint creation of sustainable built environments using these innovative technologies. However, effectively applying Society 5.0 principles in the built environment still requires further clarification and development. To this end, this project aims to strengthen the collaboration between the UK and Japan in the built environment, focusing particularly on the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector. It involves a systematic approach to identify the sector's needs and preferences to align with Society 5.0 principles, followed by creating and testing prototypes. These prototypes will be demonstrated and assessed at the Osaka Expo to develop a collaborative roadmap that guides the practical integration of Society 5.0 concepts into the built environment.
Through this project, we aim not only to advance scientific understanding of the interface between technology and human-centric systems but also to provide practical solutions, identify industry needs and establish a comprehensive strategy for implementation and dissemination.
The TAI is supporting the delivery of The Health and Occupation Research Network (THOR), which monitors the incidence of work-related ill-health in the UK and Ireland.
THOR is the only UK-wide surveillance system collecting medically diagnosed case reports of work-related ill-health, with more than 100,000 reports collected since 1989. Four surveillance schemes collect medically certified data on work-related ill-health from medical professionals to estimate the incidence of work-related ill-health and monitor trends over time.
THOR is run by the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH) at The University of Manchester. The COEH engages in research and education concerning the relationship between the environment and human health, with special reference to occupational and other environmental factors. The work is partly funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Find out more on the THOR website.