1. Purpose
This policy sets out Murzo Group's approach to robotics, collaborative robots, autonomous systems, automated machinery, robotic tooling, remote-controlled systems, and human-robot safety.
The purpose is to support safe innovation while reducing risks to people, property, animals, food operations, farming environments, security operations, public spaces, data, equipment, and third parties.
2. Scope
This policy applies to robots, cobots, autonomous mobile systems, robotic arms, inspection robots, farm automation, warehouse automation, security robotics, drones where used as robotic systems, sensors, actuators, controllers, robotic software, AI-enabled machinery, and systems integrated into Murzo Group operations or supplied through Murzo Group channels.
It applies across research, procurement, design, testing, deployment, commissioning, operation, maintenance, cleaning, software change, remote access, decommissioning, resale, and third-party use.
3. Core Safety Principles
Robotics and autonomous systems must be treated as safety-relevant equipment where movement, force, energy, tooling, electrical systems, chemicals, data, or automated decision-making may create risk.
- Robots must not be deployed unless their intended use, limits, environment, foreseeable misuse, and human interaction risks have been considered
- People must be protected through suitable guarding, separation, speed and force limits, sensing, emergency stops, isolation, training, supervision, and safe procedures where relevant
- Autonomy must not remove human accountability for authorisation, monitoring, maintenance, incident response, and safe shutdown
- Safety functions must not be bypassed, disabled, hidden, modified, or overridden without written approval and suitable review
4. Legal and Standards Awareness
Murzo Group should consider applicable workplace safety, machinery, product safety, electrical safety, PUWER, CE/UKCA, EU Machinery Regulation, cyber security, data protection, drone, radio, environmental, food safety, and local authority requirements before using or supplying robotics or autonomous systems.
Relevant standards and guidance may include recognised robotics, machinery, collaborative robot, functional safety, electrical, cyber security, and risk assessment standards where suitable for the system, country, sector, and use case.
5. Risk Assessment and Human Interaction
Before material use, Murzo Group should consider whether a robotics or autonomous system could strike, crush, trap, cut, burn, contaminate, start unexpectedly, drop a load, move outside its intended area, expose data, create surveillance risk, damage property, frighten animals, affect food safety, or interfere with public or workplace safety.
Human-robot interaction must be planned. People who may enter a danger zone, supervise a robot, work alongside a cobot, clean equipment, clear jams, recover faults, programme movement, or maintain the system must have appropriate information and safeguards.
6. Controls, Isolation and Emergency Stop
Robotics and autonomous systems should have suitable controls for start, stop, emergency stop, reset, isolation, lockout, manual override, restricted mode, maintenance mode, speed limitation, workspace limitation, and safe recovery where relevant.
Emergency stop and isolation arrangements must be clear, reachable, tested where appropriate, and understood by authorised users. Remote or autonomous control must not prevent local safety action where people may be exposed to risk.
7. Software, AI and Updates
Software, firmware, AI models, perception systems, navigation tools, sensor calibration, cloud connections, control logic, and remote commands may affect physical safety. Material changes must be controlled according to risk.
Robotics systems must not be connected to unauthorised networks, unknown controllers, unapproved plugins, untrusted AI tools, personal devices, or external remote access without suitable approval.
8. Third-Party Systems and Integrators
Suppliers, installers, integrators, programmers, maintenance providers, landlords, site operators, contractors, and customers remain responsible for their own design, installation, instructions, operation, maintenance, training, warranties, safety claims, and legal compliance unless Murzo Group has expressly accepted responsibility in writing.
Murzo Group does not accept responsibility for harm, injury, damage, loss, downtime, contamination, security failure, or unsafe behaviour caused by third-party modifications, unauthorised programming, bypassed safeguards, poor maintenance, unsuitable environments, misuse, unapproved attachments, or operation outside written instructions, except where law requires otherwise.
9. Food, Farming, Animals and Public Environments
Robotics used around food, feed, insects, animals, farms, soil, water, chemicals, cleaning, pest control, public spaces, or security operations may require enhanced review. Controls should consider contamination, biosecurity, welfare, escape prevention, environmental release, physical injury, public perception, and emergency recovery.
10. Incidents and Stop-Use Authority
Any person may stop or escalate use where a robot or autonomous system appears unsafe, unpredictable, compromised, incorrectly configured, contaminated, damaged, cyber affected, or outside its intended area.
Incidents, near misses, unexpected movement, sensor failure, collision, injury, property damage, fire risk, data exposure, or unauthorised control must be escalated promptly and handled under safety, cyber, product, recall, insurance, or regulator notification procedures where appropriate.
11. Evidence and Review
Murzo Group may keep proportionate evidence of risk decisions, supplier instructions, safety checks, incidents, authorisations, training, maintenance, and software changes where needed for safety, legal, insurance, customer, product, or dispute purposes.
This policy should be reviewed when robotics activity, law, guidance, standards, suppliers, operating environments, product lines, or AI capabilities materially change.
